


Kairos

by zaffrenotes



Category: Choices Fandom, Choices: The Royal Romance, The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Flirting, Miniseries, Non-Canon Relationship, Romance, Secret Identity, Sex, Summer, Summer Romance, Summer Vacation, TRR
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:07:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 31,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zaffrenotes/pseuds/zaffrenotes
Summary: Kairos (καιρός) is a word in Greek that translates to “the right time” or “the right moment to act” * A miniseries where King Liam recalls a past relationship, before his brother abdicated * I was always curious about the women in his past, prior to meeting TRR MC, and why it didn't work out in the end. This is my attempt to scratch that itch. * Any text in bold denotes a writing prompt that was incorporated into the story
Relationships: Liam & Main Character (The Royal Romance), Liam & Original Character (The Royal Romance), Liam/Main Character (The Royal Romance), Liam/Original Character (The Royal Romance)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

PRESENT DAY

Liam stood in front of the stove in the kitchen of Valtoria, stirring the contents of a saucepan with a spoon. He hummed a melody to himself as he hovered between stirring the sauce and checking on a pot of pasta on the neighboring burner. After spending a little more time in the kitchen, he carried a tray of two dishes with him to a small table he’d set up in view of the waterfalls. He checked on the sparkling wine, which was chilling in a bucket of ice nearby, before heading inside and calling out to his wife. “Love? Dinner’s ready!”

Riley descended the staircase in a floor-length airy green dress, her hair down in loose waves. Liam smiled softly as he took in the site of his wife, cheeks dimpling when she wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her toes to the ground, giving herself an extra couple of inches to try and match his height, and kissed him sweetly on the lips. “Happy anniversary, baby,” she cooed.

“Happy anniversary, my queen. I hope you’re hungry.”

The King and Queen of Cordonia walked hand in hand to the simple setup for dinner. Liam helped Riley to her seat, kissing her on the cheek as she scooted her chair closer to the table. With a tiny flourish, he removed the domed lid over her plate, before doing the same to his plate and joined her at the table. Riley grinned at him as he poured wine into their glasses, and they toasted to celebrating the anniversary of their first official date.

Liam had prepared the same pasta dish – one that he quickly learned to perfect, following their wedding – from their date at Ramsford, just before the Beaumont Bash. It was simple but filling, and allowed them both to just enjoy each other’s company. Halfway through the meal, Riley chewed thoughtfully on a bite of pasta. “I’m curious about something you said that night at the Beaumont’s,” she said, running a finger around the rim of her wine glass.

“Yes?”

“Do you remember how you told me you thought you were once serious about a woman before you met me, but it lacked a spark?”

Liam coughed harshly, choking on the bite of pasta he’d just swallowed. “Yes.” He dabbed a linen napkin to the corners of his mouth. “Wouldn’t you rather talk about something else on our anniversary?”

“Not really, no,” Riley answered, her finger still circling the glass. “You never brought her up again.”

Liam reached across the table to hold her free hand in his. “Because I met you, and you’re the only woman that matters.”

Riley plastered on a smile. “Bullshit,” she grit through her teeth, before feigning a smile at him again. “I told you all about my exes and past relationships, it’s your turn now.” She drew her hand back and stabbed one of the remaining bites of her meal on the plate.

“I…met a young woman while I was on vacation, and she was vacationing as well. We spent the remainder of our trips together, getting to know one another, and in that short time, my feelings for her grew until I thought I might have been in love. In retrospect, it was infatuation more than anything else, because we knew that our time together couldn’t turn into anything more once we had to go our separate ways. We were both caught up in the idea of a summer romance, idealizing one another as an escape from life.”

Riley blinked several times at Liam’s confession, holding her fork in the air. She set it down on the plate again and looked over to him; he’d gulped down the remainder of the wine in his glass, and his skin was a blotchy pink as the rush of alcohol flushed through his body. “ **Okay, wow, you just dumped a lot of information on my lap and gave me no time to process it.** ” She smoothed the napkin across her lap, palms damp from nervousness. “This wasn’t one of your arranged meetings, monitored by the court?”

Liam shook his head. “It wasn’t, no.”

“No one was around to act as a chaperone, or look out for you? Not even to make sure you weren’t photographed?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Liam cleared his throat and glanced over to the falls. “Any press attention was focused on Leo, as he was the Crown Prince at the time.”

Riley breathed in deep, exhaling slowly before speaking again. “Care to start at the beginning?”

Liam wanted to jump off the cliff instead of answering her question. _One stupid, white lie. There was no spark. It was a cataclysmic explosion over a few short weeks one summer_. He refilled his wine glass and took a long sip, wishing for something stronger. “It happened a couple of years ago, when Leo and I planned a trip to one of Greece’s smaller islands,” he began.


	2. Chapter 2

PRESENT DAY

Liam shifted in his seat and rubbed his thumb against his wine glass, wiping a small circle free of the condensation. “Are you certain you want me to talk about this, tonight?”

“Trying to avoid things already?” Riley smirked at her husband from across the table.

“Of course not,” he replied. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.” He let out a plaintive sigh. “I didn’t think you cared about my past relationships, if you’d even call them that,” he shrugged, “since they’re in the past.”

“ **I’m your wife, of course I care**.” It was Riley’s turn to sigh, but she leaned forward and reached for Liam’s hand, holding it gently in hers. “With everything going on in our lives in the past year, there’s never really been a good time to bring it up. I don’t need to know every minute detail, but I’m curious to know why things didn’t work out in the end, since you were capable of moving heaven and earth to be with me.”

“I was a different man then, compared to who I am now. And you’re different than any woman I’ve known before.”

“So tell me about Past Liam,” Riley urged.

Liam swallowed and cleared his throat, grinning nervously at his wife. “It was roughly two years ago, not long after Leo finally endured his social season and announced his engagement to Madeleine. He made arrangements to take one of the yachts to a small Greek isle to relax, just before Father planned to have him take on more responsibilities. The only way Father agreed to let him go without Bastien on his tail was to extend an invitation to me.”

TWO YEARS AGO

Two men sat at a small table at a café, the pair of them in good spirits as they took in their surroundings. The late afternoon sun warmed their skin, even under the small awning. After ordering drinks and food, the darker haired man rose slowly from the table to wash up. The blonde remained at the table, scrolling through his phone.

Just as the man with dark hair returned to the table, the blonde noticed a young woman heading towards the cafe. She crossed the street, smiling politely at the waiter, who had also noticed her, and he assisted her to a table just a few feet away from the young men. She was dressed in an airy, white dress, tall espadrilles, and wore large, dark sunglasses. Her ink black hair was piled up in a high bun, with strands of it falling loosely around her face.

The blonde man clicked his tongue and nudged his companion with his elbow. “Look at her,” he said quietly, speaking in Greek. “What a beautiful specimen.”

“Leo,” his brother chided, “it’s rude to stare.” He picked up the small Specials card on the table, pretending to study it. “You just made your engagement official to Madeleine, why are you even looking at other women?” He darted his eyes across the way to the woman in white. “Besides, she might hear you.”

Leo grinned at the woman, lips pulling into a smile when she knowingly shook her head and flipped through the cafe menu. “Just because I’m engaged doesn’t mean I can’t admire the bounty the gods set before us. She looks like a tourist anyway.” Leo waved in her direction, switching to English. “Hello there! Quite a lovely day, don’t you think?”

The young woman pinched her lips together dubiously at Leo’s greeting, changing it to a small smile as the waiter returned to take her order. She slid her sunglasses up to rest on her head and held the smile at Liam, subtly biting her bottom lip as their eyes met while the waiter went over the specials. Liam grinned bashfully at her, feeling a tiny flutter in his gut. She broke her gaze from Liam to glance up at the waiter, who had asked if she needed another moment to order, but she shook her head and closed the menu. She looked back at the brothers, tilting her head as she smirked at Leo. Without breaking eye contact, she placed her order for a large frappe, half a sandwich, and baklava…in impeccable Greek.

Liam had to cough to stifle his laughter. Next to him, Leo sputtered water into his glass upon hearing the woman speak in Greek. “I’m so sorry,” the waiter replied. “One of the gentlemen at the other table ordered the last of the baklava for the afternoon. Is there something else you’d like?”

The woman pursed her lips in thought. “Galaktoboureko?”

With a nod, the waiter scribbled her order on a notepad. “Yes, of course. I’ll be just a moment with your drink.” He left the outdoor seating area, lightly shaking his head with a grin, as he passed the other table.

“You’d better apologize,” Liam addressed to Leo, switching to French.

The woman clicked her tongue as she pulled a magazine from her handbag. “Better try another language, I know that one too,” she grinned, responding in French.

“And how lovely it sounds, coming from your lips, mademoiselle,” Leo cooed. “What about,” he offered, before switching to German, “something sharper?” He arched an inquisitive brow in her direction.

Unphased, the woman flipped a page of the magazine as she replied. “Enough to hold my own in Munich.” She glanced up at the pair of them. “I’m still waiting for that apology, whenever you’re ready,” she added, switching back to English.

With a humble laugh, Leo got up from his seat and walked over to her table. “It was uncouth of me to say something so rude, to someone so beautiful.” He bowed slightly, offering his hand in greeting. She lifted her hand to shake his, but he turned her wrist and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles before letting go. “I apologize for my behavior. Can I make it up to you by offering to join me and my brother for a meal?”

“That’s not necessary, the apology will be enough.” She laughed softly, smiling somewhat nervously at Leo’s offer, though she looked over at Liam.

“It’s the least I can do,” Leo offered again. “We ordered more than enough to share, and the seafood was caught just this morning. Besides, the baklava here is the best on the island, my brother will vouch for me.” He glanced over his shoulder, and Liam smiled shyly at the woman.

“I…”

“If it’s not better than the galaktoboureko, I’ll pay for your meal,” Leo added.

She smiled. “You won’t go away until I agree, will you?”

“Not likely, considering we’re all stuck here for the duration of our meals.” He flashed her one of his best smiles.

A moment later she’d gathered her things and Leo picked up her water glass, as Liam pulled up an extra chair to their table. He stood up as she moved to the open seat. “Excuse my older brother Leo, he’s not used to inserting his foot into his mouth. At least, not in multiple languages at once.” She smiled, and Liam felt his heart swell. “My name is Liam, Miss…?”

“Elia.” She hung her bag on the back of the chair and extended her hand to Liam. Like his so-called brother, he gently grasped her fingers in his hand and turned her wrist, placing a light kiss across her knuckles. This time, Elia felt her hand warm pleasantly at Liam’s touch.


	3. Chapter 3

Elia was surprised at the amount of food Liam and Leo ordered just for the pair of them. Horiatiki – a traditional Greek salad with chunks of seasonal tomatoes and cucumbers, slices of red onions, olives, and chunks of feta, dressed with rich olive oil and a splash of lemon – along with kalamaria yemista – baked squid, stuffed with rice and herbs – Greek potatoes, and dolmades. It looked like dinner, rather than a late afternoon snack. The platters covered the space of the small table, barely leaving room for their plates and drinks. “This looks like you haven’t eaten in days,” she teased, taking a long sip from her frappe. The cold, foamy Greek coffee drink was a delightful reprieve from the summer sun.

“We spent most of the day bouldering on Kalymnos,” Liam answered, offering Elia one of the dishes. “Worked up quite the appetite, even with a hearty lunch.”

“It’s great for climbing and bouldering, and generally very relaxing,” Leo added. “But the island isn’t as lively as night.” He speared a wedge of tomato with his fork. “What brings you to Kos?”

“I’ve always wanted to visit Greece,” Elia answered, carefully working to cut the food on her plate without hitting anything else. “I spent the last ten days exploring Athens, and some family friends own a little apartment here.”

“Is that why you speak Greek so well?” Liam watched the dainty way she sliced her food into smaller, more manageable bites.

Elia laughed softly. “I…well, I just finished studying at university, with a degree in international affairs. I had to minor in at least one language, but my parents insisted I learn at least two.” She grinned when she looked up to see a curious expression on their faces. “I took Spanish and French in primary school, Italian for my degree, and Greek on sort of a dare when I was a teen.”

“And the German?”

“Boarding school,” she shrugged. “Difficult not to learn the language when you’re shipped off to Munich for two years. How did you come to speak Greek?”

“We’re from a small island not too far from here, so we sort of grew up exposed to different languages,” Liam replied. “Where are you fr—”

Liam’s question was cut short by the sound of Leo’s phone ringing. He pulled the phone from his pocket, frowning slightly at the screen before swiping to answer. “Excuse me, I need to take this,” he whispered, rising out of his seat. He walked out of the eating area, several yards away to avoid being heard, leaving Liam and Elia at the table.

“I’m from a small island in the Pacific,” Elia said quietly, flashing another small smile at Liam. She seemed to smile every time she looked up at him, which was just as frequent as he looked at her. It didn’t help that Liam’s cheeks warmed every time their eyes met.

Liam’s lips formed a tight line as he studied Elia’s features; he chewed and swallowed a piece of dolmades before asking another question. “Malaysia? Philippines? Guam?” He squinted his eyes at her. “Taiwan?”

Elia grinned and looked down at her food. “Adjacent to one of the countries you mentioned.”

“Care to elaborate, for the curious?”

Elia glanced up quickly through her lashes to see Liam grinning at her. “Not really, no,” she admitted, stifling a giggle. Liam’s downturned expression turned to an amused smile at her response.

They ate in comfortable silence for a minute, until Leo returned, looking crestfallen. “What is it?”

Leo didn’t bother to sit down, instead pulling out his wallet to count out some bills. He spoke in a language Elia couldn’t understand, and Liam nodded. “Something’s come up at, uh, work,” Leo answered, switching to English. “I’ve got to head back in the morning.” He bowed his head at Elia. “Miss Elia, it was lovely to meet you, I hope my idiot brother will be adequate company to finish your meal.” He knocked back the rest of his drink and looked at Liam again. “We’re still on for tonight, but I have to take a conference call for work.” Leo said something in the strange language again and left Liam and Elia where they sat, heading down towards the water.

“You and your brother work together?”

Liam cut a piece of potato in half, pausing to answer. “He’s a rather…unwilling apprentice…to the family business. I’m more of an advisor, while I learn more about operations.”

Elia and Liam spent the rest of their meal getting to know each other, though it was clear they were both being purposefully vague with some of their responses. She learned that Liam and Leo made this trip a semi-regular summer tradition, climbing during the day and partying at night, mostly at Leo’s behest. She also learned that Leo was Liam’s half-brother, which explained the difference in their appearances.

Their waiter cleared away dishes and deposited generous servings of baklava and galaktoboureko while he left to box up the leftovers. Elia and Liam’s eyes looked at the desserts with appreciation, and he nudged the baklava towards her. “I know this is what you wanted to order earlier, please, help yourself.”

Elia grinned. “You shouldn’t say that,” she warned. “I really do love this dessert more than anything I’ve had while I’ve been here. If I was dining alone and no one was looking, I’d wolf this down in two forkfuls.”

Liam arched his brow at her. “Impossible,” Liam laughed. “There’s at least twice that much on the plate, if not more!”

“It would be extremely unladylike, but I could do it!”

“The whole thing in your mouth, in just two forkfuls?”

Elia nodded.

Liam nudged the plate towards her again. “Prove it.” He clasped his hands together, resting the tip of his elbows along the edge of the table. “If you do, I’ll answer any question you want, no games, no hinting at something more detailed.”

“And if I can’t?”

He quirked his brow up at her question. “Then you’ll have to answer one of my questions with complete honesty. Do we have a deal?”

Elia set her fork down and held out her hand to Liam. He shook it in agreement. “You have a deal.” She cut the baklava in half, crunching through the crispy layers of phyllo, and paused to look over her shoulder as well as Liam’s shoulder. She waited for the few people on the street to walk past, shaking her head as she looked down at the sticky dessert before her. “Here goes,” she said quietly. She stabbed one of the triangles, opened her mouth wide, and maneuvered the piece of baklava until her lips engulfed the fork; she pulled the fork free, cheeks puffed out with honey, phyllo, and walnuts.

Liam grinned smugly at her, trying to hide his amusement. “Do you yield?”

Elia pushed the baklava to one side of her mouth with her tongue, fighting the urge to laugh. She clamped her lips between her teeth, raising her left hand to Liam, and shook a finger at him as she stabbed the other half of the baklava with her fork. She grinned and used her free hand to shield her mouth, taking in Liam’s surprised expression as his eyes widened, watching her shove the rest of the baklava into her mouth. Her shoulders shook in silent laughter, cheeks stretched to their limit, now full of food, and once again she wrapped her lips around the fork before pulling it free.

She set the fork down on the now empty plate, chewing carefully, trying not to cough as the phyllo broke and poked against the roof of her mouth and into her cheeks. Liam watched on with rapt attention, smile growing wider by the second. He clapped, laughing heartily, when she took her final swallow. It was the kind of laugh that seemed to start in one’s belly, erupting boisterously enough to require tipping one’s head back.

“Évge! Évge!” He applauded, congratulating her. “You’ve more than earned your prize.”

Elia continued to clear her mouth as politely as she could in front of Liam, taking a long drink of water to wash down the richness of the baklava. She breathed deeply through her nose and used a napkin to hide her smile, dabbing the corners of her mouth before setting it down on the table. “What sort of business are you and your brother in?” She took another sip of water from her glass. “What are you hoping to find on this excursion away from home?”

“Those are two very different questions.”

Elia tilted her head slightly, noticing the way Liam’s brows pinched together in thought. “The second one, then.”

Liam leaned back, pulling the plate of galaktoboureko towards him, eyeing the sweet custard filling. He sliced through it with his fork, freeing a small piece away. “The truth is,” he began, looking up to meet Elia’s gaze with his own, “I’d just like to be…me, for a time. Without anyone trying to butter me up for some kind of favor.”

Elia blinked several times, her deep brown eyes unnervingly unreadable. “And that’s something difficult to find, in your line of work?”

“Sadly, yes.” Liam took in a nervous breath and exhaled slowly. “Everyone knows my family where I’m from, and not a day goes by where we don’t have to manage some sort of proposal that benefits all parties involved. As much as I love parts of my life, it’s daunting and draining to know my future will be filled with endless days of managing similar deals left and right.”

Elia nodded solemnly. “Rather large shoes to fill, from the sound of things. I’m in a similar position.” She glanced across the table to see a curious expression on Liam’s face. “My family has all but mapped out the next stage of my life for me, and while I love them dearly, I don’t want to follow the path they’ve made for me. I’m still figuring out who I am.”

The waiter returned with a pair of carryout bags and the bill, and Liam took the money Leo left for them when he departed, adding a few more bills as a tip. “May I escort you back to wherever you’re staying?”

Elia gathered up her things from the back of the chair and they started walking down the street. “That’s not really necessary,” she replied.

“I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Elia chuckled. They were roughly fifty paces away from the café, and she paused in front of a gate. “I’m staying just up there,” she said, pointing above them to a small balcony above a shop.

Liam laughed to himself, running his fingers across his forehead. “I thought I’d have more time to steel my nerves.”

“Steel your nerves for what, Liam?” Elia crossed one foot behind the other and looked up at him.

“To ask you to meet me tonight, if you don’t have any plans for the evening.”

“Nothing set in stone, no,” she replied, feeling something flutter behind her ribs.

“I’ll have your name added to the list,” Liam grinned. “We’ll be going to Mascotte, around 9?”

“On Tigaki? I’ve seen it.”

“So I’ll tell them to add Elia…?”

“de Leon. My last name is de Leon. Nine PM. Mascotte. I look forward to seeing you again.” She turned and placed her hand on the gate. “Thank you for the meal today.”

“Thank you for your company, I’ll see you tonight.” Liam smiled bashfully at her, watching her walk up the steps before she disappeared behind the whitewashed wall. He turned on his heels and headed towards the marina, feeling a lightness in his chest he’d only felt a trace of before.

-

Liam never saw the way Elia sighed happily as she unlocked the door to the apartment, pausing with her hand on the doorknob when she swung it open. Leaving the keys in the door, she dropped the carryout bag to the ground and her hand immediately went into her purse, feeling around for the small pistol she always carried with her. The windows were open; she remembered closing them before leaving for the beach that morning.

“Careful, it’s just me,” a familiar voice called out. A tall figure stepped into the arch leading to a sitting room, his arms held up to either side.

Elia exhaled loudly and lowered the pistol, easing her tension on the grip. “Beni, what are you doing here?”

The older gentleman stepped into the light, taking a few steps in Elia’s direction, and ticked his chin at the weapon in her hands. “Glad to see you’re at least following my advice to protect yourself.”

“Benigno,” Elia scoffed. “Why are you here?” She clicked the safety in place before setting the pistol in her purse again, and picked up the bag off the ground, pulling her keys free from the doorknob.

“You haven’t been answering phone calls or messages,” he answered, pulling a chair away from the kitchen table. He sat down and picked up one of the magazines on the table, leafing through it slowly. “Your parents are expecting you in Macau for the consortium gala.”

“I was under the impression that it was Mariela’s turn.”

“She’s overseeing things at home while your parents are attending to the consortium.”

“Which is just another ploy for them to set me up with some new rajah, or duke, or some CEO with distant royal ties.” She unpacked the boxes of leftovers from her meal with Liam and stacked them in the small fridge.

“Be that as it may, it is your duty.”

“Can we leave in the morning? I have plans for this evening I don’t wish to cancel.”

“I’m afraid not, Miss,” Benigno replied. “The flight itself will take nearly a full day, it would be best to leave for Athens this evening. We’re booked on a return flight at eight.”

“Give me an hour to shower and pack, at least?”

Benigno closed the magazine and stood up, straightening his tie. “Of course,” he replied, bending slightly at the waist in a modest bow. “I’ll be just downstairs, getting a coffee.” 

Elia waited for Benigno to shut the door and leave, before leaning her hands against the kitchen counter and sighing heavily. She had no way of contacting Liam to tell him that she had to cancel. “Perhaps it’s for the best,” she said to herself, taking in a cleansing breath.


	4. Chapter 4

PRESENT DAY

“So she stood you up? You?” Riley’s brows pinched together.

“That’s what I thought as well,” Liam replied.

“Safe to assume you saw her again, right?”

“It was several days later,” Liam answered, pouring wine to into their glasses, “but you’re correct.”

TWO YEARS AGO

Several days had passed since Liam met Elia de Leon that day in the café. When she failed to appear at the nightclub, he tried not to take it personally, trying to think of possible reasons for choosing to stand him up. None of them included having to fly over eight thousand kilometers to attend a gala in the middle of her vacation. While Leo spent a portion of the night trying to lift Liam’s mood with ouzo and friendly young women, Liam left early and spent the rest of his night aboard their yacht, staring up at the stars.

It was a sunny afternoon when Liam wandered into town and he caught sight of Elia in a marketplace. He wasn’t sure it was her at first, as she never mentioned how long her stay on Kos would be, but he recognized her smile when she sniffed a handful of tomatoes and chatted with the vendor.

He trailed behind her as she walked through the market, filling the bag on her shoulder with local produce. She moved through the crowd with ease, undeterred by the bustling crowd, stopping at every other booth to chat with the owners. Liam worked on what he was going to say to her, to find out why she never appeared at the club that night, and stopped paying attention to maintaining a safe distance until it was too late.

“Proséxte poú patáte!” He’d stepped on her heel, and she warned him to watch his step. “Oh! Liam! Hello again!” Elia’s annoyed expression turned to surprise when she turned around and recognized him.

“Miss Elia,” he grinned softly.

“I…I’m so sorry about the other night,” she stammered, beginning to fidget with her hair, done up in rope braids that wrapped around her head like a crown. She kept tucking the same tendril of hair behind her ear. “Something came up, and I had no way of getting in touch with you.” She let her fidgety hand fall to her side for a moment, before gently squeezing his hand. “I’m so sorry.”

Liam shifted and drew his arms in as shoppers around them walked past; he motioned for the pair of them to move away from the foot traffic, and Elia followed. “It’s quite alright,” he answered. “It was just an open invitation.”

“But I told you I’d meet you there, and…I know you’ve just met me, but I’m a woman of my word.”

“Call it a pass, you’re on vacation as well, after all.” He gave her a small smile to show he wasn’t too upset, assuaging his doubts that she didn’t want to join him that night. “I hope whatever you had to take care of wasn’t too taxing.”

“Oh, it was nothing I haven’t had to do before,” she sighed. “I had to—” Elia paused, aware that she was about to blurt out that she had to travel to Macau for another boring blind date her parents had arranged for her. “Take care of some family responsibilities at the last minute.”

“Oh?”

Elia glanced around, slightly nervous. “It’s not something I really want to talk about, with so many people around.” She adjusted the straps of the shopping bag on her shoulder.

“If you’re done with your shopping, perhaps we could chat over some coffee?” He peered around the square to see if one of his favorite local cafes was busy, when he noticed a fruit stand. “Or, if you’re up for a small adventure, we could go to a quiet spot on the island to talk? We’d just need to procure some fruit.”

“That doesn’t sound suspicious at all,” Elia giggled. “Let’s buy some fruit. I know a place.” She laughed again. “Next thing you know, you’ve taken me to some cliffside and I disappear, and you…snack on fruit when you’re done.”

Liam grinned. “What sort of person do you take me for? If you thought I was capable of that, why would you have agreed to meet at the nightclub?”

“The club would’ve been a public place, with witnesses!” Elia teased.

“I will assure you, I have nothing sinister in mind,” Liam replied, winking at her. “You’ll be in for an amazing sight if you agree, though.”

“Well…” Elia hummed. “Alright. I’ll take mystery adventure behind door number two. **I can’t believe you talked me into this**.”

Liam smiled and stretched his hand out towards the stall. “We’ll need to purchase some berries from that tent, then.”

-

After purchasing a few containers of blackberries and raspberries, Elia divided her attention between gazing out the window and glancing over at Liam as he drove them across the island. Her brows pinched together when he passed the airport and took a nondescript side road towards a large pine forest, rolling to a stop into an empty lot. She gasped softly when she noticed an abundance of peacocks walking around, along with dozens of stray cats napping and lounging atop pallets and tables. “What is this place?”

Liam exited the car, making sure to retrieve the berries they’d purchased, along with some bottles of water from the back seat into a small tote bag. “This is Plaka Forest. A friend of mine told me about it, the first time I visited the island.” Liam chuckled to himself and added, “He’s a bit of a bird enthusiast, and after showing him photos of the park, I had to make another trip with him so he could see the place for himself.”

He led them to a spot with some weathered tables and chairs, with some of the peacocks and pea fowl trailing behind them, along with a few curious cats. Elia smiled and waved at the cats, making cooing noises and meowing softly at them. “I would take you all home if I could, sweet little babies.” She offered a smile to Liam when he pulled out a chair for her.

He opened one of the small berry containers, gently shooing away a snow white cat that was brave enough to hop onto the table. “I suggest tossing the treats on the ground, several feet away, unless you want to get swarmed by feline and fowl.” He grinned and tossed berries by the pair in several directions on the ground, and they watched the birds go after them. They sat in silence for a short while, feeding the birds; he watched the way her face lit up when some of the males fanned their feathers out, and the sunlight filtering through the trees made them glitter like jewels. “So,” he began, breathing in slowly to quell his nerves. “You were saying you had to deal with some last minute family obligations over the weekend?”

Elia shifted in her seat, casting her eyes to the ground. She didn’t quite look over at Liam, instead focusing her gaze on his hands as he pulled some blackberries from the container and aimed them at an invisible spot on the ground for the birds to flock towards. “My parents said they’d try to let me enjoy traveling this summer before I start graduate school, but there was some…miscommunication with an event.” She sighed and unscrewed the cap on one of the bottles of water, taking a sip before continuing. “My sister, Mariela, was supposed to attend the event in my place, but she had to stay at home…so I had to attend at the last minute.”

Liam considered her response thoughtfully, looking out at the animals walking about. “I can understand that,” he finally replied. “Often times Leo and I have to attend events for our family, whether they’ve been scheduled weeks ahead of time or something unexpected comes up.”

Elia let out a wry laugh. “It was really more of a guise to set me up on another matchmaking scheme by my parents.” Liam quirked his head in her direction, his brows furrowing together curiously. “I’ve got several siblings, and I’m the next in line to,” she paused to make air quotes with her fingers, “settle down and find a husband.”

“You’re only, what…twenty-one? Twenty-two?”

“Twenty-two.” She smiled ruefully, looking out at the park grounds. “Doesn’t seem to matter, they just want to marry me off to someone worthy in their eyes, whether or not I actually like the fellow. Can you imagine that?”

“I can, as it were.” It was Elia’s turn to look over to Liam with a curious expression. “I’m not exactly in the same position, but my brother recently got engaged. Our families have known each other for years, so they know each other well, but there are aspects to their union that feel…strategic.”

“And Leo doesn’t see a problem with that?”

“There’s not much he can do to fight it, to be frank.” Liam shrugged. “It sort of comes with the territory, where I’m from, and with him being the eldest.”

After a pause, Elia cleared her throat and asked a question. “Does that mean you’ll get to marry whomever you want, being the younger sibling?”

“To a degree. My father will have a say in things, of that I’m sure, but I’ll have a bit more freedom than Leo did.”

“Consider yourself lucky then. I’m the third child and I feel like I’m being set up for an arranged marriage, when all I want to do is focus on my studies.”

“What if you had a long engagement, so you could have the time to focus on your education? It would at least allow you the opportunity to get to know your betrothed, wouldn’t it?”

“Buying time wouldn’t solve anything,” Elia sighed, looking down at a cat that stretched out on the table. She held her finger out to let the cat sniff her, and gently stroked its furry paw a few times. “I want to be able to feel those early butterflies of a potential connection, like I felt in the cafe.” Elia tucked her lips between her teeth and color crept up her neck to settle in her cheeks, realizing her confession.

Liam’s lips stretched into a wide grin. “You were that enamored by Leo, were you?” He leaned back in the plastic chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Elia lied, smiling despite herself. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll find a hole and perhaps crawl into it for the rest of my trip.”

Liam let out an amused laugh, leaning forward in the chair, and gently set his hand on her tanned shoulder. “It’s alright, Leo is a rather charismatic person.”

She glanced over her shoulder to look at his hand, then followed the trail up his arm until she could look him in the eye. “Your brother isn’t the one that caught my attention that day, and he’s not the one I wanted to see again.”

“So you’re saying…” Liam leaned closer, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Elia’s ear.

“You were the reason for the butterflies in my stomach,” she replied softly. “Much like the ones I’m feeling right now.”

“Funny, I feel a fluttering as well.” Liam cupped the side of Elia’s face as they moved closer, his heart racing as he prepared to kiss her.

Their kiss was interrupted by the sound of several cats around them meowing at once, followed by a peacock warbling loudly at them as he fanned out his feathers and tugged at the plastic container of berries on the table. Elia laughed nervously at the sound, grabbing hold of Liam’s arm, and buried her head in his shoulder.

Liam looked up to the sky and laughed. “On that note, should we go?”


	5. Chapter 5

PRESENT DAY

Riley sputtered air into her wine glass, shoulders shaking as she set the glass down and laughed. “You poor, sweet man,” she giggled. “A first kiss thwarted by a bird?” She picked up her now empty plate from dinner and added it to the tray of dishes Liam was assembling.

“It wasn’t my finest moment.” Liam’s cheeks tinged pink as he gathered up their dinner remnants, and they walked inside together. Riley and Liam walked to the kitchen together, and he set the dishes in the sink, alongside the pots and pans that were soaking. Riley joined him by the sink and picked up a kitchen sponge, when he laid his hand on top of hers. “We can leave the dishes for later, it’s our anniversary and you shouldn’t have to clean.”

“But you cooked! It’s only fair.”

He leaned towards her, planting a soft kiss to her temple. “How about you boil some water for tea, to go with dessert? I’ll load the dishwasher.”

“So this bird park,” Riley began, glancing over her shoulder as she filled a kettle with water, “has Maxwell seen it?”

“He has, but that’s a story for another day,” Liam grinned.

“So what happened with Elia after that?”

“I was a bit nervous around her after that, but we continued to bump into each other.”

TWO YEARS AGO

Liam and Elia crossed paths often following their trip to the unique sanctuary - frequently at the cafe near her apartment, in the afternoon for coffee. It took three more days for Liam to work up the courage to ask her out.

Leo had gone back to Cordonia the day after he and Liam met Elia, but after a few days he managed to get away in an attempt to squeeze in a few more days on Kalymnos. He and Liam were going over their plans for an ambitious day of climbing when Leo’s phone rang; Leo rolled his eyes and picked up the phone. “It’s the Old Man, I’ll be right back,” he sighed. He ticked his head at the map on the table. “Make sure we’ve got enough rope for the route tomorrow.”

Liam studied the map, running numbers in his head to calculate how much rope they would need for their climb, while Leo walked up the stairs to speak with their father in private. After a few minutes, Liam could hear his brother raising his voice as he paced above him; he simply sighed, shook his head, and resumed the task before him, adjusting his calculations for one.

His brother returned moments later, throwing his phone at the couch before pouring himself a drink from the small stocked bar. “Heading back in the morning, I take it?” Liam jotted down some numbers on a notepad.

“Just once,” Leo sighed, knocking back the Scotch in his glass, “just once, I’d like to enjoy a trip from start to finish without having to deal with him.” He poured another finger of Scotch into his glass, pacing the small space of the room. “I’m afraid you’ll be on your own for the rest of the trip, I don’t think I can wrap up these negotiations in just a day or two.”

“Duty calls.”

“Don’t I know it.” He took a sip from his glass before checking the time on the wall clock. “Feel like going to town? Might as well make the most of what’s left of the night.”

—

While Leo waded his sorrows at a bar, Liam opted to take a walk along the beach once his brother struck up a conversation with a pair of young women on holiday. He rolled up his pant legs, carrying his shoes in one hand, and walked along the shore. The water lapping against the shore was cool, but the pebbled beach still retained hints of warmth from the summer sun.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re stalking me.”

Liam looked up to see Elia approaching him, playful grin on her face as she walked barefoot along the shoreline. She was wearing a knee length romper, her hair splayed over her shoulder in a thick braid, and a pair of sandals dangled in one hand. In the amber light of the buildings from the street, she was breathtaking. Liam wagered that she was breathtaking in any light. “Funny, I was just hoping to run into you, as luck would have it.” He smiled and bowed his head courteously, feeling his heart beat a little harder in his chest when she stood before him.

“And why were you hoping to see me tonight, so late in the evening?”

He extended his hand to gesture they continue walking, and Elia turned on her heels as they strolled back the way she came. “Have you ever done any rock climbing?”

“Yes?”

Liam chuckled. “Are you not sure if you have?”

It was Elia’s turn to laugh softly. “I mean, yes, I’ve done a bit of rock climbing, mostly indoors though. A couple of times outdoors, top roping.”

“Any interest in sport climbing?”

Elia kicked at the water lapping against the shore. “Are you serious?” She turned her head to look up at Liam.

“I am if you’d like to try,” he replied. “The truth is, Leo snuck away to salvage the last of our climbing days, but he has to leave again in the morning. We were supposed to head back to Kalymnos tomorrow, and I was hoping you’d say yes so I don’t have to spend my last day climbing alone.” She gave him a nervous, doubtful look as her lips formed a taut line. “I’ve been climbing for years,” he added. “Leo and I picked some advanced routes, but there are easier ones at the same locations, and you’re sure to see some fantastic views of the island.”

“I don’t have any proper climbing gear,” she shrugged.

“I have more than enough ropes and carabiners. As long as you have some gym clothes with you, we’d just need to get you a harness, helmet, and some shoes. There are a number of shops on the island that sell gear. It would be my treat, as a thank you for accompanying me.”

“Tempting offer.” Elia tapped her chin with her index finger.

Liam tilted his chin down and grinned. “What about dinner afterwards? After climbing and hiking, there’s nothing like a good meal to revel in the day’s efforts.”

Elia smiled softly at him. “I accept your terms,” she chuckled. “Aside from gym clothes for climbing, anything else I should pack for our adventure?”

“Wear hiking boots if you have them, or comfortable sneakers…a bathing suit wouldn’t hurt, and something to wear for dinner…something like what you’re wearing now would be lovely.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “Toiletries and whatever you’d need for a shower…we’ll be taking my family boat, and there’s a full bathroom on board to freshen up.”

“What time should I meet you? And where?”

“Tomorrow morning, eight o’clock, can you get to the harbor at Mastichari? I can ask the captain to head to Kos harbor, but that would mean doubling back.“

“No, no need to double back,” Elia replied. “I can just as easily go to Mastichari. What’s the name of your boat?”

“I’ll be at the pier on a bow rider,” he replied bashfully. “The uh…yacht…can’t be in such shallow water.”

Elia nodded her head and wrestled with the grin that wanted to surface. “So your family does well in their business ventures, I take it.”

Liam shrugged his shoulders. “Like I said, everyone knows who my family is on our island.” They made their way back to the street, and Elia dropped her sandals on the ground before slipping her feet into them. Liam knelt down to slip one sandal onto her foot, noticing the way Elia bit her lip when his hand wrapped around her ankle. He slipped his own shoes on and walked her back to the street where her apartment was located. “I’ll see you in the morning?”

“With bells on,” she smiled. “Or spandex,” she giggled. She took a step up on the whitewashed stone and turned, kissing Liam on the cheek before opening the gate and stepping through. “Goodnight, Liam.”

—

The next morning, Liam carried a bag on his shoulder as he walked with Leo to the main street from the harbor. The morning sun already caused a thin sheen of perspiration to creep across their brows, a sky unencumbered by clouds. “You show that little minx what you can do with those ropes, eh?” Leo teased, sly grin on his face.

Liam clicked his tongue. “It’s not like that,” he scoffed.

“It should be! You’ve seen her at least half a dozen times already. Have some fun, you’re on vacation! Besides, it’s not like being back home, where all the ladies know who you are…who _we_ are. She doesn’t know anything about that world, and still seems to like you.”

“Thanks for that.”

“Give yourself more credit. You’re not the one with an anchor tied to one leg. You have the option of actually falling in love.”

Liam set the bag down on top of Leo’s suitcase, consternation at his brother’s statement causing his brow to wrinkle. “Are you…do you not have any romantic feelings for Madeleine?”

“She’s not as frigid as she seems,” Leo sighed, his bright blue eyes scanning the early morning traffic for a taxi. “I care about her… **I’m like 75% sure**. How could I not? We’ve grown up side by side, and it’s always been assumed we’d end up together. I’m just searching for that last 25%.” He picked up his bag and suitcase as a taxi pulled up to the curb, with a passenger already in the back seat. “Don’t be afraid to get out of your head with what’s left of your time here,” he said, slinging the bag over his shoulder. “Maybe _get_ a little head, before life back home weighs down your whole world.” He turned his head when the door opened and smiled. “Speak of the devil! Kaliméra, Lady Elia!”

Elia’s brows pinched together at the greeting, but she shook it off, assuming Leo was being overly polite with the title. She smiled at the brothers as she got out of the car, tugging a large messenger bag across the seat with her. “Kaliméra Leo, Liam.”

“Enjoy the day with my brother, hope you know your knots!” Leo winked as he set his things in the back seat and chatted briefly with the driver. He said something to Liam in an unfamiliar language and raised his brows as the taxi drove off.

Liam sighed and shook his head; Elia looked up at him as she adjusted the bag across her back and tightened the strap. “What did he say?”

“It’s nothing worth repeating, trust me,” Liam chuckled. He glanced down and smiled at her, admiring the pigtail dutch braids in her hair. She wore a fitted tank top, showing off toned arms, and black leggings that hit just below her knees. “Um,” he hummed, looking down at the strappy sandals on her feet.

“Don’t worry,” she remarked. “These are what I’ll wear to dinner, my hiking boots are packed away in my bag.”

Liam bent his arm in her direction, hand resting in front of his torso. Elia laughed softly at the gesture, but she looped her hand behind his arm and curled her fingers around his bicep. They walked together towards the water, until Liam slowed in front of a small motorboat, and he helped Elia step down into the boat. He maneuvered the boat to open water and headed in the direction of a yacht in the distance. Elia gasped at the size of the ship, her lips parting to form a small O when her jaw dropped.

“Who _are_ you?”


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m Liam, your climbing and adventure instructor for the day,” he grinned smugly, eyes trained straight ahead.

Elia looked on at the yacht that grew larger with each passing second. “ _That’s_ your family boat? That’s not a boat! It’s a floating mansion!”

“It’s actually the smaller vessel. We have a larger one back home, practically dwarfing the size of Radiant Ruby here.” He pulled up to the stern, waving at a deckhand. They disembarked, and Liam escorted Elia on board before conversing briefly in the same language Liam used with Leo. The deckhand hopped into the boat and headed back to the harbor. “He’ll keep the boat at the harbor until we return, and get a day to himself on the island.”

Elia nodded in understanding, and looked around as Liam guided her to a room; everything on the yacht was spotless and polished, with plush cushions atop built-in loveseats and chairs, along with bowls of fresh fruit on kitchen counters.

He pushed a door open and pressed himself against the wall to allow Elia to enter. She stepped into the room, furnished with a full bed, dresser, and leather seating. On the far end of the room was the bathroom, complete with fluffy towels and a terrycloth robe on a hanger. “My room is just a few doors down.” He motioned his thumb over one shoulder. “Please make yourself comfortable, the kitchen is stocked with coffee, tea, and Chef Miriam can make just about anything you want, if you haven’t already had breakfast. I’ll be up momentarily, I just need to finish packing up the gear in my quarters.”

“How long will it take to get there, now that we’re on the Titanic?”

Liam chuckled softly. “An hour, hour and a half, maybe…since we need to head to Masouri first. I’ll see you upstairs in a few minutes?”

Elia nodded. “Yes, of course.” She smiled pleasantly at him as he disappeared down the hallway. Elia took a moment to unpack a bag of makeup and toiletries in the bathroom, and pulled out a white sundress from her bag, hanging it up for later. Once she pulled unnecessary items from her bag to leave in the room, she headed up to the kitchen area.

An older woman with a kind face greeted her as she stood in front of the stove, holding a briki over a burner. “Kaliméra, I’m Miriam, would you care for coffee?”

“Nai parakaló,” Elia confirmed. “Glykos?”

Miriam nodded and pulled another demitasse cup from the shelf, keeping careful watch over the briki. “Maybe you tell the young master Liam to do the same, he has such a sweet tooth!”

“I need the extra sugar today, Miriam,” Liam laughed as he ascended the stairs, carrying a large daypack with him. “We’re climbing, I need fuel!”

Miriam clicked her tongue at him. “I’ll make you omelets, that’s better fuel for hiking and climbing.”

“Efcharistó,” he grinned, thanking her. He looked over to Elia. “Would you like to sit out on the deck, enjoy the sea air?”

“Sure, maybe bring some of that rope? I could use a refresher course on some of the knots.”

“Of course.” Liam unclipped a bundle of rope from his pack and they stepped out onto the deck. Elia leaned over the guardrail and closed her eyes, feeling the wind against her face as they moved across the water. Liam smiled at the sight of her smile, lowering his gaze to the table when she set her heels down on the floor.

She asked questions about elevation heights and climbing classes for various routes. He was about to go inside to grab a map when Miriam carried out a tray of food containing coffee, water, omelets, and fresh fruit and yogurt. While they ate breakfast, she asked about past trips to the island and where else he’d traveled. “The usual cities through Europe, traveling with my father and brother for work,” he answered, before swallowing a spoonful of strained yogurt swirled with preserves. “London, Rome, Madrid…Athens more times than I can count,” he chuckled. “Morocco as a child, where Leo pranked everyone into serving me chicken tagine for nearly every meal. I’ve always wanted to visit Southeast Asia though…it’s unfortunate we haven’t had to do business outside of Europe yet.”

“Where would you go in Asia, if you could go anywhere?”

“Singapore’s at the top of the list, along with Thailand and Malaysia. I’d spend six months exploring the Philippines and all its islands if I could, along with a tiny string of islands called Las Perlas. Have you heard of them?”

Elia bit into a fig, chewing on it slowly before answering. “I’ve been told the islands there have powder-fine white sands and turquoise water, like something out of a dream.”

“That’s what I’ve heard as well.” The corners of Liam’s mouth turned up. “Have you been lucky enough to travel to any of those places?”

She lowered her gaze to look at the food on her plate before looking up at him. “When I was younger, before I was sent to boarding school in Germany, yes. Summer often meant traveling with my family to Tokyo, and Hong Kong. One time my siblings and I spent a summer in Madagascar. The baobab trees are a sight to behold.”

Liam blinked slowly and smiled with mild levity at her response.

Following breakfast, Elia and Liam practiced making knots. He was amused when she whispered to herself in German when making figure eights. “What’s that you’re saying?”

Elia laughed softly at herself. “It’s been over a year since I’ve done any climbing,” she replied, undoing the knot in the rope before measuring a length of it from one hand to the opposite shoulder. She pinched it in the middle, her left hand gripping it so a loop formed above her hand. “I had a German instructor teach me when I was away at boarding school. Make a ghost,” she instructed, twisting the loop once. “Strangle the ghost,” she continued, taking the short end of rope around the back, “and poke him in the eye.” She threaded the end of the rope through the loop from the back and pulled the ends, creating a single figure eight. “Tie into the harness…may I use your arm?” Liam nodded and stuck his arm out, and Elia looped the rope around his forearm once. “Then make some train tracks,” she added, following the path to make two sets of knots. She adjusted the knots closer to Liam’s arm before tightening them. “And you’re locked into your harness.”

“Interesting technique. Do you have other tricks for tying knots? Bunnies running around trees, maybe?” His eyes twinkled as he looked at her, grinning when she shook her head at him.

Elia smacked his hand playfully as she loosened the rope. “Only if I’m tying my shoelaces…or maybe bunny ears would be easier for you to remember?” Liam grinned wider at her response. “Come on, what other knots should I know to keep us both from falling to our deaths?”

“Let’s try a Prusik,” Liam chuckled.

—

As they approached their destination, Elia went down to her room to change her shoes and gather her things. She slipped off her sandals and slung her bag over her shoulder, carrying her hiking boots and a pair of socks in her hand as she made her way back up to the main deck, where Liam was seated, tying the laces on his own boots. “Don’t forget, the bunny runs around the tree first,” she teased. Her brows creased together when Liam tied the laces together and then began to undo his work. “Why are you undoing your laces?”

Liam shook his head and a hint of a smile made the corners of his mouth turn up. “Soft, flat shoes on deck, barefoot’s even better,” he reminded her. “I was just checking to make sure nothing felt funny while wearing them. We’ll need to take a taxi from the harbor to the shop in Masouri. I think it’ll be easier if we come back here and take the hybrid boat, and start off on Telendos. Depending on how long we’re there, we can have lunch on Telendos or Kalymnos, and I’ll take you to Grande Grotta before heading to Kantouni.”

“You weren’t kidding about it being an ambitious day.”

“Or we can do one climb and spend the rest of the day swimming and tanning on the beach, if you like,” he offered.

“Not a chance! You said this is your last day for climbing, so we’re gonna climb!”

Liam grinned as he stood up, helping Elia to her feet. “I like your attitude! Let’s get started,” he said, ticking his head towards the doors.

—

After a visit to a shop on the island for climbing gear, Liam guided a small boat towards the island of Telendos. Elia had accepted his offer to pay for most of her gear, with the exception of the shoes - she insisted on paying for them herself, mentioning something about an old superstition. They hiked to the first spot on Liam’s list, called “Inspiration,” chatting and joking along the way. When they arrived at the rock face, Elia stared up at the wall in front of them, mouth gaping open like a goldfish. “I might have to eat my words,” she murmured, staring up at two climbers already on the wall.

“What’s wrong?” Liam sat down on a small boulder, unlacing his boots to switch into climbing shoes.

“I…I don’t think I can climb that,” she said quietly. “That’s so much taller than anything I’ve ever climbed.”

“It’s only about a hundred meters or so.”

“What?!” Elia spun around to look at him, taking in a deep breath. “I’ve only climbed half that, at best!” She began to pace nervously in front of him, talking to herself. “No no no no no, I can’t do this. Can I do this? I don’t think I can do this. My god, even if I got stuck, that would be such a long way to…no. No I’ll just stay down here.”

Liam shoved his other foot into the climbing shoe in his hands and stood up, lightly grasping Elia’s shoulders. He squeezed them with reassurance, crouching to make himself level with her eyes. “Hey, hey, Elia.” His voice was soothing and calm. “You can do this, you know. Everything you’ve already told me about yourself tells me that you can handle anything set in your path. I’ll be there the whole time, looking out for you.” He looked deep into her eyes, his brow creased with concern. “Just take it one step at a time, for as long as you can stand it. **What’s the worst that could happen?** ”

“ **I could die,** ” Elia replied flatly.

Liam laughed to dissipate their nerves. “The paths are already bolted in, if you lose your grip or footing, you’ll only fall to the previous point, and I’ll be on the ground, looking out for you. I won’t let you fall. I promise.”

“You promise?”

“I promise you, Elia de Leon, I will not let you fall prey to harm during my watch.” He stood up and crossed an X over his heart with his index finger. “Make it to the top of Inspiration and all other climbing today is optional, though when you make it to the top I think you’ll want to keep going.”

“When I make it to the top?” She raised her brow to him, questioning his word choice.

“I have faith in you,” he grinned.

Elia shook her head in disbelief, but set her bag on the ground and pulled her new climbing shoes free. After setting up their harnesses, Liam clipped on a number of carabiners and quickdraws to her belt, and they made their way to the route he’d highlighted on the map, pointing out which bolts to follow. Elia took in a deep breath, reaching behind her back for the chalk bag, and rubbed the powder between her already sweaty palms.

“We can watch the other climbers for a bit, if you’re not ready. Or run a few practice climbs, to get your muscle memory going.”

Elia gave Liam a shy, half-smile, nodding her head. “I’d like that. The uh, practice climbs.”

“Would you like to climb first, or belay?”

“Belay. I’ll watch you for pointers.”

Liam tied his harness with one end of the rope, while Elia fed the other through the belay device on her harness. She slipped on a pair of gloves and watched Liam as he approached the wall, eyeing the space before him for spots to use as hand and foot holds. When he was ready, he glanced over his shoulder, back to Elia. “On belay, Elia?” With other climbers around them, calling out their names minimized confusion between climbing commands.

“Belay on, Liam.” She adjusted her stance and held on to her end of the rope.

“Climbing, Elia,” he replied, securing his foot on a small rock ledge.

“Climb on, Liam,” she answered back, feeding the rope forward. She kept her eyes on Liam as he climbed up the wall, giving him slack as he progressed, and taking in the rope each time he paused. Focused as she was on supporting the rope, it was impossible not to take notice of the way the muscles in his calves and arms flexed with each movement up the wall.

They took turns climbing and belaying, taking short breaks in between to rest. Elia’s fingers were sore after just a few practice runs, having forgotten how much pressure it took to stay upright. They chatted with the other climbers there that morning, with Elia sometimes acting as a translator when Liam’s language limitations stymied pleasant conversation.

“So, do you think you’re ready to tackle all of Inspiration before noon? We’ll lose the shade soon, and that will make climbing more difficult.”

“I guess it’s time to find out,” Elia replied, dusting off her backside. They walked over to where they’d left their rope, and Elia worked a figure eight to attach the rope to her harness. She secured her helmet and stepped up to the rock face, and they went through the belay commands before she started her climb. It was slow but steady progress, now that her muscles were fatigued from the morning’s efforts, but she took breaks when she needed them, and Liam helped guide her to find footholds.

Liam reveled in the opportunity to admire Elia’s figure without repercussion while she climbed. While his eyes were trained on her hands and feet to ensure her safety, he couldn’t help stealing glances at the roundness of her backside, or marveling at the strength contained in her lithe, slender arms. At one point, she was up higher than she’d ever climbed before, but the arms he’d been staring at were beginning to tremble from fatigue. Liam noticed she hadn’t moved in a while, and pulled the rope to lessen the slack.

“Elia, look at that overhang at ten o’clock,” Liam hollered up. “Hook your left heel on it and you can hang and stretch your arms.”

“I don’t think my leg can stretch that far, oh tall one!”

Liam laughed. “Cross over, get your right foot in a better position, Elia!” She did as instructed, and stretched her foot above her, hooking her heel on the overhang. Liam lessened the slack in the rope and Elia let go of the rock with one hand, letting her arm stretch in the air for a few counts, before switching to rest her other arm. After a minute, she resumed climbing, until she reached the top, surprised and relieved to see other climbers had been up there the whole time.

After catching her breath, she stood up and gasped at the breathtaking view. Bright, blue ocean surrounded them, save for the mass of land to one side that was Kalymnos. She felt the tiniest tug on her rope, and made her way to the edge, leaning over to see Liam waving at her. “Let me know when you’re anchored in so I can climb!” Even a hundred meters below, his smile was bright beacon up to her, and she felt her heart swell. “Totally worth the effort, right, Elia?”

“So worth it, Liam!” She smiled down at him and turned around, looking for some way to anchor the rope. The other climbers pointed to a large boulder and helped her find a clear spot, showing her how to offset the weight so she could belay and keep an eye on Liam safely from the ledge.

Liam went through the belay commands again, and began to climb as she kept even tension on the rope. He collected each quickdraw as he ascended to the next point, while Elia stole glances at his arms. From her angle, it was difficult to guide him, but he didn’t need much help since he was following along the rope line. When he reached the top, Liam had a weary but satisfied grin on his face. Once they’d safely collected their rope away from the ledge, Elia and Liam removed their helmets and took in the scenic view again. Liam pulled his phone out from a back pocket. “Indulge me in some photos?”

Elia smiled and leaned in next to Liam, flashing finger hearts to the screen as he took a photo. One of the other climbers offered to take a photo of them, and she wanted to leap out of her skin when he put his arm around her. “What do we do now?” she asked, looking around.

“Now, we hike back down to get our things, and…” Liam paused to pull out his phone again to check the time, “…we can probably squeeze in another path here and head to Kalymnos for a late lunch, if you’re not hungry yet.”

“Lead the way,” Elia replied, clapping her hands together.

—

Liam was impressed by Elia’s willingness to keep climbing as the day wore on; though the next climb was more difficult than Inspiration, that didn’t stop her from trying. She seemed to have a good grasp on her limitations, though Liam encouraged her to take one more step or reach for one more hold. She guided Liam without calling out every movement as well, taking notice when he’d pause and rest longer than usual.

They had lunch at a restaurant within the Philoxenia Hotel, and followed a path to Grande Grotta, a massive cave overlooking the sea and Telendos. He watched as Elia’s jaw dropped again at the sight of the cave, full of stalactites and tufas to grapple with. She pointed towards their next target. “You want me…me…to climb some part of that?”

“Only if you want to, it’s more advanced, so there’s absolutely no pressure. I’ve only done a handful of paths with Leo, and it’s daunting every time I’ve tried.”

“I might have to tap out,” she laughed nervously. “Though I’ll gladly watch and cheer you on.”

After the short hike to the cave, Liam changed into his climbing shoes again, and Elia prepared to belay him from the ground. He grinned to himself when he caught the way her eyes widened when he took off his shirt, in an effort to keep it dry as the summer sun beat down on them. The structure was impressive from afar, and intimidating up close. He approached the far side of the cave. “What path is this?” Elia asked, securing the rope to her belay device.

“Aegialis,” Liam replied. “Not very technical, but it’s a popular one because of the views. He handed her the phone from his pocket. “Could you take some photos of me, if I hit the curve?” He gestured above him.

Elia gave him an awkward smile. “That…might be difficult, if I’m using both hands to hold on to the rope.” She handed him back his phone, rummaging through her bag until she retrieved what looked like a retro toy camera. She glanced over her shoulder to grin at Liam, and turned to walk over to a trio of climbers resting on the rocks, cycling through her rolodex of languages until Liam caught bits of Italian, followed by nodding and Elia pointing to Liam. He waved at the group and she walked back towards him, leaving behind the device.

“Is that a film camera?”

“Huh? Oh, no, that’s just a phone case I thought was really cute. They’re going to take photos while I belay and you climb, so I don’t have to worry about you losing your grip while I try to line up a shot. Ready?”

“Thank you for doing this with me today,” Liam grinned, tipping his chin down to look into Elia’s eyes.

“Thank you for the invitation.”

Liam walked over to the cave wall and looked around, gears in his head turning to pick a spot to start. He went through the climbing and belay commands with Elia again, and soon he had his fingers curled around limestone and rock, climbing to his heart’s content. Every time he glanced over his shoulder to look down at Elia, she had an awestruck expression on her face, offering him shy, reassuring smiles as she fed and tightened the rope with his movements.

When his eyes were on the rock, he never saw the way she bit her bottom lip each time he stretched his arm to a new hold, or the way she’d stare as his calves flexed to grip a ledge and push himself forward. He never caught the way she stopped blinking to watch the way his back muscles moved when he’d twist and turn against the solid earth.

He only saw the way she tilted her chin farther up every time he looked back, keeping a watchful eye on him as he attempted a tricky overhang. Even with all his focus on the rock, he wondered what it would be like to have his hand curled around the side of her neck, searching for a tender spot to kiss that would make her gasp.

When Liam returned safely to the ground, he was dripping with sweat like he’d been doing sprints. Once they’d coiled up the rope, Elia gently tossed him a bottle of water before going back to the other climbers to retrieve her phone. Liam poured some of the water directly onto his head, relishing in the momentary relief it provided as it trickled down his chest and back, and poured more into his palms to rinse off the chalk. “I don’t know about you, but I could go for a swim. How do the photos look?”

Elia smiled and turned the phone in her hand to share the screen, tapping through some of the photos. Liam’s silhouette appeared in the frame, surrounded by blue sea and sky in the background. There were even a few shots with Elia, her head tilted up in watchful vigilance as Liam hung from the rock formation. “You looked good up there,” she said quietly, switching the phone off. “Give me your number or email later, and I’ll send them to you. This is an old phone, so the battery doesn’t last very long.”

“We can head back to the boat, and then go around the coast to another spot on the island.” Liam stuffed the ropes into his pack and changed back into his hiking boots. “ There’s a nice cave over the water where we can solo climb.”

—

After taking the small boat back to the yacht, Elia and Liam returned to their rooms to freshen up while the captain steered the ship towards the southern coast of the island. Elia took a quick shower to wash off the sweat and dust from climbing, making sure to apply a liberal amount of sunblock before slipping on black bikini bottoms and a neon pink and blue bikini top. She added a sheer white coverup and gathered up her things to meet Liam on the deck.

She found him looking out at the water, back turned to her, wearing just his swim trunks. He turned and smiled at Elia when he heard the door open, eyeing the strap of her bag on her shoulder, lingering just long enough to appreciate what he could see of her swimwear under the wisp of fabric covering her. “You won’t need your bag, just your climbing shoes,” he said. “It’ll be a bit of a swim, but the captain will get as close as he can to the coast.”

“Guess that means I won’t need this cover, then?” Elia pinched at the fabric on her shoulder.

“Correct,” Liam grinned.

“In that case, could you help me with something?”

“Anything.”

“Get my back?” Elia set her bag down on one of the chairs, pulling a tube of sunblock free. She handed it to Liam as she untied the sheer kimono-style coverup. “That is, if your hands aren’t too sore from climbing today.”

A knowing grin flashed across Liam’s lips. “Never too sore to help a lady in need of assistance.” He took the tube from her hands and squirted a generous amount of sunblock into his palm as Elia turned around, eyebrows raising to the sky when she unhooked the strap across her back. Elia dropped one shoulder and twisted her head to look at him. “For an even application,” she suggested, before looking forward to the water again.

Rubbing his hands together to warm up the lotion, Liam pressed his hands to her back with broad strokes, using his thumbs to apply gentle pressure to Elia’s muscles. Her head swayed slightly and a tiny moan escaped her lips, which he interpreted as a positive sign. He worked the lotion into her already tanned skin, his strong hands roving across her waist, tempted to delve under the waistband of her suit. He felt her shiver pleasantly at his touch as he kneaded the space between her shoulder blades.

If he were a lesser man, he could have used her state of undress to reach forward and cup her breasts, or pull at the strings on the back of her neck to undo her top. Tempted as he was, Liam gently tapped either side of her waist to let her know he was finished; he thought he saw her shoulders drop with disappointment before she reached back and hooked her straps together. “Thank you,” she said, turning around to face him. “Can I repay the favor by getting your back?”

“I won’t turn down a back rub with a side of sun protection,” Liam grinned again, pulling out a chair from the table. He sat on the edge of the seat, sighing to himself when he felt Elia’s hands swipe lotion across his shoulders. He let out a quiet, shuddering groan as she worked out a knot.

“Oh my god, are you _made_ of the rocks we climbed today? Are you secretly Ben Grimm?”

Liam chuckled as she worked another knot loose. “That’s not usually who people associate me with from the Marvel universe, secret comic book nerd.” He turned his head back to catch her eye. “It’s nothing an hour in the hot tub can’t alleviate.”

“Hot tub?”

“There’s one on the lower deck. Fantastic Four fan, hmm?”

Elia laughed softly as she continued to rub lotion into Liam’s skin, leaning in to reach his lower back. “You can thank my brother Reg for that, I was always stealing his comic books when we were children.”

“Thank you, brother Reg,” Liam parroted.

Elia laughed again. “You’d like him, I think. Cheeky like your brother, but he’s so good at working a room.”

“Do you have to entertain often?” Liam felt Elia’s hands pause as they rounded his shoulders, ending his rubdown with a gentle tap.

“More than we want to deal with, but it comes with the territory, I suppose. Parents seem to know everyone, so we have to maintain pleasantries with friends and business associates alike.” The engines slowed, and rocky crags appeared on the port side of the ship. “I think we’re here.”

Liam stood up and looked over his shoulder, grinning at the sight of the coastline. He and Elia went back inside; she set her bag next to his on a sofa, and they grabbed their climbing shoes before heading to the stern side of the ship.

—

Liam grinned as he watched Elia in the crystal clear water, a combination of azure and cerulean blue, depending on the depth of the sea floor below them. He was crouched on a small ledge of rock just above the water, next to a small cave. While they’d jumped into the water together, his long limbs and freestyle stroke covered the distance without any trouble. When he slowed down to see where Elia was, he was amused to see her facing the sky, moving through the water by choosing to backstroke to their destination.

“What’s the rush?” She called out to him, as he resumed swimming towards the cave. Elia flipped over as she neared the rocky edge of the island, and Liam offered his hand to help her out of the water. “So, how do we climb this thing?” She dabbed the seawater off her face with a small towel he pulled from a waterproof sack he’d brought with him.

“Pick a spot and just start climbing,” Liam shrugged. “The water is deep enough to cushion the blow from falling.”

“Has anyone ever gone fully vertical at the center of the arch?” Elia glanced over to the center of the cave.

“I think Leo made it about two-thirds of the way in, once,” Liam chuckled. “It required an excessive amount of grunting while he showed off in front of some new friends he made that day.”

“Let’s see who can get closest!”

After securing the sack under a rock, Liam and Elia headed back into the water and spent the better part of an hour climbing various spots of the cave walls to reach the center. It was more difficult than she anticipated, after spending so much of the day climbing already. At one point, Liam managed to get close to the center before gravity finally made him lose his footing on the rock; he dug his fingers into the rocky overhang above him, twisting his torso to minimize the pendulum-like swing.

“ **Pivot** ,” Elia called out. Liam twisted his torso and tried to raise his legs back to the rocks, his arms twitching as he used every muscle possible. “ **Pivot. Piv-ot! Piv. Ot!** ” Elia called out again, half serious, in between giggles.

Liam grunted as he tried to swing the lower half of his body skyward to connect with the rocks, feeling his foot scrape against the earth. He felt secure enough to let out a laugh at Elia’s encouraging words. “Okay, Ross, I get it!” For a split second, he thought he saw her ogling him, before his tired fingers slipped free from the rock. With an undignified scream, he fell backwards into the water, kicking his way to the surface, and made his way to the edge to get back on dry land. His entire back stung from the impact of the fall.

“That one looked like it hurt,” Elia grimaced, handing Liam the towel from the neon green sack. She grimaced again when Liam turned to look at his back, already turning pink. “Are you alright?”

“Stings a bit, but my dignity is in worse shape,” he replied, letting out a humorless laugh.

“It was an impressive effort.” She took a sip of water from a bottle in the bag, handing it up to Liam. “Has anyone ever jumped from above the cave, into the water?”

Liam tipped his head back and swallowed down a gulp of water; when he screwed the top on, he looked over to the cave again. “I’m sure many have, it’s a safe drop down, as I just demonstrated.”

Elia smiled at him as she took the bottle back and placed it inside the sack again. “What if we jumped together, on purpose, into the water then?”

It was Liam’s turn to smile again, extending his hand to Elia. “Let’s give it a shot.” They made their way along the rugged terrain, until they were standing on the edge of the rock, just above the center of the cave. The water below them twinkled brightly in the afternoon light, sapphire blue from where they stood. Elia leaned over the edge and took hold of Liam’s hand, lacing her fingers with his. “Having second thoughts?” His own heart was racing as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“I…” Elia’s voice trailed off as she stared at the water below them. “I haven’t done anything like this before.”

“Diving into water? Jumping off a cliff?”

“Both.”

Liam’s lips curled into a small grin. “I’ll be with you the whole time, it’s exhilarating. Maybe two seconds of fear while you jump, but the rest of it is freeing.”

Elia tightened her grip on Liam’s hand. “Count of three?”

Liam squeezed her hand back. “Eyes on the horizon - looking at the sky will tilt you back, looking down will tilt you forward. Take a deep breath just before you jump, and blow it out your nose just before you hit the water, keeping your core tight. Scream if you need to, but you risk swallowing water,” he added, laughing a bit at the end. “Do your best impression of a pencil.”

“A pencil?”

“Vertical planking?” Liam straightened his stance, pulling his shoulders back.

Elia laughed anxiously next to him. “Got it. One…”

“Two…” Liam counted out.

“Three!” They called out together and jumped off the edge; Elia’s hand clamped down as they moved forward, away from the rocks, and quickly plummeted down towards the water. She did her best to keep her eyes on the horizon and make her body straight as she felt temperate water swallow her up. What was blue sea was now cloudy white, surrounding her with bubbles as she tried not to inhale it. She felt Liam squeeze her hand again before pulling away so they could use their arms to reach for the surface. Elia’s heart felt like it was going to beat straight out of her chest and her lungs burned with the need for air. She kicked to the light and finally felt her arm break the water’s surface, inhaling deeply as she pushed her head above the water, filling her lungs with delicious oxygen again.

Elia tilted her head to the sky and smiled wide in appreciation; when she leveled her gaze to look for Liam, he was treading water a few feet away, smiling at her. She swam towards him, treading the small space of water between them. “That was amazing,” she murmured, voice quivering from the adrenaline still coursing through her.

“Freeing, right?” Liam couldn’t stop smiling when he looked at her. He never wanted to look away. He brushed his leg against hers in the water.

“Completely,” she grinned. Her smile faded when she felt something brush against her leg. “There aren’t sharks in these waters, are there?”

“Short answer is yes, but—“ Liam bit back a laugh as Elia started thrashing her arms to look around, “but that was me you felt.” He moved closer in the water and brushed against her leg again. “Me again.” They smiled and stared at each other in the water, with Liam working up the nerve to kiss her again. He caught the way her eyes looked like liquid cinnamon in the light, rather than their darker mocha hue nearly every other time they’d been in each other’s company.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Elia said, lightly splashing the water towards Liam.

He grinned bashfully. “I was just thinking to myself that you have the loveliest eyes I’ve had the privilege of seeing up close.”

“And here I was thinking the same thing about you,” Elia replied, lowering her gaze so that she could look up at Liam through her lashes.

Liam could feel the back of his neck prickle with heat, and it wasn’t solely from the sun beating down on them. There was a flutter in his chest as he looked at Elia, catching the way she bit the edge of her bottom lip. He’d begun to count to three in his head…

“γεια σου, εντάξει?” A young man on a paddle board called out to them, and Liam wanted to scream. The stranger was followed by his companion, also on a paddle board, who also asked if they needed help.

“We’re fine, just climbing and swimming!” Liam called out in Greek. He sighed as he turned back to Elia. “Now that we’ve got company, what do you say to heading back to the ship and cleaning up for dinner? There’s a charming restaurant on the island that I think you’ll enjoy.” Elia nodded silently but enthusiastically. “You go on ahead, I’ll head back and grab the bag I left on the rocks.” He smiled again as she began to backstroke through the water, cursing at himself at another ruined moment to kiss her.

—

Upon returning to the ship, Liam initially invited Elia to soak in the jacuzzi while the captain moved the vessel at a leisurely pace around the island to their final destination. Elia went to her room to return her things, but in the few short minutes that she was gone and Liam checked his phone, he had to back out of his plan. Leo had sent a number of text messages and voicemails referring to an upcoming conference and a meeting with an ambassador he despised, so Liam spent nearly two hours helping his brother prep. By the time he finished his phone call and went to find Elia, he found her napping in the guest suite. He asked the stewardess to wake Elia, scribbling down a note to pass along upon her waking.

He spent the next hour showering and getting dressed, slipping into a pair of khaki dress pants and a white dress shirt. He opted to leave the first two buttons undone and rolled up his sleeves, fussing with them to achieve the right balance of care into his appearance while maintaining an air of casualness. He took out his anxiety by messing with his hair in the mirror, trying to brush it in place without completely combing it down. Just before he left his room to hopefully meet Elia, he slipped on a pair of loafers and slowly breathed in and out, reminding himself that she was just a girl he met on vacation, and she seemed equally interested in him.

Liam spoke briefly with the butler to arrange for transfer to the island, before heading to her room. He knocked twice, but there was no answer. The stewardess passed by and informed him that she’d already gone upstairs to catch the sunset. As he ascended the stairs, his breath caught at the sight of Elia quietly gazing out at the horizon while she waited for him. She was dressed in a demure white sundress with full sleeves, skin glowing and a shade darker from the day’s adventures. Her dark tresses that held hints of auburn in the light, like glowing coal embers, hung in loose waves all around her, in stark contrast against the white of her dress.

Elia’s head turned when she heard the step creak from Liam’s weight on it, and a warm smile broke out across her face as she took him in. He walked over to her, bowing slightly, and offered her his hand. She slipped her hand in his and blushed when he placed a soft kiss across her knuckles. He gently helped her stand, catching the scent of oranges and lilies in the air around her as she stood up. “You look lovely,” he breathed softly. “And well rested.”

She lowered her gaze. “All the sun and exertion today really tired me out. The stewardess…Lyra?” Liam nodded silently to confirm her guess. “She let me know you were pulled away for a phone call.”

“It was Leo, in need of some coaching for an upcoming meeting.”

“Funny that the younger brother has to help the elder.”

“Like I said,” Liam replied, walking with Elia towards the rear of the ship, “Leo knows what he’s doing, he’s just…reluctant to dig his heels in.”

“And you want to fill his spot?”

“Not exactly, no. I’ll step up to whatever duty and responsibility requires of me, but it’s always been assumed that Leo would manage things once our father is ready to step down.” A small boat could be seen in the water, approaching them, and Elia let out a dreamy sigh as she watched the distance between the sun and edge of the sea grow closer.

They boarded the small water taxi, which took them to a small cove on the island. There was an intimate restaurant just on the edge of the beach, and the owners chatted with Liam like they’d known him for years. Before even glancing through the menu, plates of food were set upon their table - olives, spinach and feta pies wrapped in phyllo, calamari, even stuffed cherry tomatoes picked from the owners garden that morning - which Liam and Elia accepted gratefully.

The rest of the meal didn’t disappoint, as plate after plate of freshly caught seafood and bright vegetables appeared, while their wine glasses never seemed to empty. Liam watched Elia’s brown eyes sparkle in the candlelight, the banter between them growing bold as wine coursed through their systems. A tiny frown made its way across Liam’s face when his phone buzzed, noticing it was a call from the captain of the Radiant Ruby. The conversation was short, and when the call ended, he pulled out his wallet and set down several bills, including a generous tip. “That was the captain,” he explained to Elia. He offered his thanks to the owner as they left the restaurant and headed back towards the small port to take another boat back to the yacht. “He advised that it would be wise to return to Kos right away. A storm is headed this way, and it looks to be a strong one.”


	7. Chapter 7

PRESENT DAY

“Dun dun duuuun!” Riley’s eyes widened as she set her teacup onto a saucer, and leaned back against the couch. She propped her arm along the back, leaning towards Liam, who was seated next to her. He sighed quietly, a tender smile on his lips as he reached over and tucked some wayward strands of hair behind her ear. The fire crackled in front of them, and Riley adjusted her dress to cover her legs and keep off the chill of the evening. “Did this turn into another version of your sailing trip when you were a kid, with Drake?”

Liam shifted in his seat and propped his ankle over one knee. “It was a bad storm, but it wasn’t as bad as what happened with the sailboat. Ruby was a much larger vessel, and the crew knew what to do more than Drake and I did on the sailboat.”

“So you didn’t get hurt while you were heading back to Kos?”

“Rough waters from the outlying winds, but we were safe the whole time, Love. I’m here in one piece, after all.”

Riley turned to look at Liam. “ **I have the right to be worried** …whether or not you’re sitting here in front of me without any visible scars.”

Liam nodded in agreement. “You’re right.”

“So,” Riley continued. “Storm on your heels, and you’ve just spent the day with this woman, that you clearly had an interest in.” She caught the way Liam’s jaw ticked in affirmation. “Something had to happen next, am I right?”

TWO YEARS AGO

The water taxi ride back to the Radiant Ruby was quiet and tense; Liam’s eyes were on the horizon, watching the remnants of the setting sun as it dissolved into the sea, along with the dark clouds in the distance that approached too fast for his liking. When they boarded Ruby, the skeleton crew was already bustling about to prep the vessel for bad weather. Elia offered to help secure things inside while Liam spoke with the captain; the stewardess advised her to pack her belongings and secure them in her cabin, and any other preparations could be handled by the crew, since there was still time to outrun the weather.

Elia was packing up her toiletries when the vessel’s engines rumbled to life. A few moments later, there was a knock on her door. Liam was on the other side when she opened the door, looking breathless and sober. “Are you alright?” She stepped aside to let him in, and Liam ran a hand through his hair as she brushed past her and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I see you’ve packed, that’s good,” he said, voice tense.

Elia moved to sit down next to him, and began to rub small circles against his back with her open palm. “Liam, what is it? Lyra assured me we’d be safe heading back to Kos.”

“Yes, the captain said the same to me just now,” he replied. He let out a shaky breath, eyes trained on the floor. “I feel rather foolish making this request, but do you think you could indulge me?” When he turned his head to look at Elia, her expression softened, seeing the worry in his eyes.

“Indulge you how, exactly?”

“I’m not exactly…fond, of being on boats, when the weather isn’t fair,” he answered. “I was in a boating incident when I was younger, and it’s made me…trepidatious…ever since.”

She gently squeezed his shoulder. “So what can I do to help?”

“Watch a movie with me? While they take us back?”

Elia tilted her head down and nodded, smiling softly at him. “I’d be happy to.”

—

Liam and Elia took their things with them to the main interior of the yacht, setting their bags away in a cabinet for safe keeping. They’d drawn most of the curtains closed so they wouldn’t see the storm clouds, and Liam popped in a DVD into the entertainment unit before dimming the lights. Aside from a distant rumble of thunder, it was hard to tell anything was going on outside.

They watched in silence as the boat churned through the water. They sat next to each other on one of the plush couches, and he’d comfortably moved his arm around the back of the couch to rest his hand on her shoulder. She’d leaned in, resting her head in the crook of his arm, against his chest. Nearly an hour into the movie, Liam’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he reluctantly pulled away from Elia to answer it.

He spoke rapidly in Greek, mentioning extra fees and amenities as he paced about the space of the room they were in. The boat swayed and Liam grabbed hold of a chair to steady himself before ending the call. He sat down again next to Elia, and she gave him a curious look, ticking her head to one side. “I apologize for that, I was just making sure the arrangements were in place for the crew once they anchor Ruby.”

“Arrangements?”

“I was able to book a rental property for them on shore, should anyone want to ride out the storm on land, instead of staying on the boat.”

“What about you?”

Liam’s eyes were aimed at the screen, but he wasn’t paying attention to the movie. “There are a number of hotels, I’ll likely duck into one when we get ashore and ride out the storm there.”

“On your own? Nonsense!”

“I’d stay with the crew, but…my father would advise against it.” Liam thought the rule was ridiculous, as well as being a waste of money to have to arrange for separate lodging for himself.

“You can stay with me,” Elia replied. “There’s more than enough room in the apartment, and you shouldn’t have to endure this on your own, even if it turns out to be a little storm.” With ironic timing, a loud clap of thunder rang out all around them, making Liam’s stomach do a nervous flip.

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” he muttered quietly.

Elia clapped her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. “We’re probably near the port soon, just try to ignore the storm and watch the movie.”

A few minutes later, the sound of rain falling across the water created an odd, white noise effect, and then they could hear it as it caught up all around them. It pelted the fiberglass and steel that protected them, and Liam’s body tensed at the sound of it all. Static blasted out from the internal speakers as the captain advised they were approaching the port, and it wasn’t long before the crew bustled around once more.

Liam shut off the movie and he and Elia gathered their things from the cabinet. “Wait, do you need to call for another water taxi? Or the crew member that was on land today?”

“They already got in touch with him to meet us here,” Liam replied, adjusting one of the straps over his shoulder. “He followed the coastline from Mastichari to Kos Town.”

The Ruby slowed down, and once the crew had anchored the boat, Liam ushered Elia outside to disembark. They carefully made their way towards the rear, where the crew member from the morning was waiting to ferry them back to the island with a few other members of the crew. Liam grasped Elia’s hand as the small boat cut through the water, heading towards the small seaside port.

Once on solid ground again, Liam and Elia ran towards her apartment, soaking their clothes in the process. Wind howled through the narrow streets; the rain fell so hard it began to sting. All Liam could make of Elia’s form in front of him was the reflective stripe on the bag strapped to her back.

She reached her hand behind him to grab hold of his when they arrived at the small gate, and led him up the steps to the front door. They’d stepped into a small alcove built into the property, and he sighed with relief for the temporary reprieve. After fussing with her bag to pull her keys free, Elia opened the door and immediately ran inside.

The windows had blown open with the force of the wind, and rain had soaked half the apartment. She cursed in what sounded like Spanish, tossing her bag to the floor. “Shut the door and uh, I’ll be right back with some towels!”

Liam shut the door and locked it, setting his own backpack down on the floor as he moved to re-latch the windows. Elia reappeared after closing windows further inside the apartment, and together they dragged the table and chairs inside from the patio, before locking the doors shut. Liam wedged a chair under the handles to keep them from opening again. “I think that’s it,” he breathed, feeling like the storm was muffled now that the windows were closed.

“I’ll go get those towels,” Elia sighed again. She disappeared down the hall, and Liam puffed out his cheeks to exhale again. The floors were soaked, along with the drapes. He looked down at his own soaked clothes and unbuttoned his shirt, wringing it out over the sink. He ran a hand through his thoroughly soaked hair in an attempt to slick it back, turning around when he heard Elia’s footsteps approach.

“I can make us some tea to warm up, or I’ve got cof—“ Elia dropped the stack of towels in her arm at the sight of Liam, half dressed in the kitchen.

Liam’s jaw dropped at the sight of Elia in her white dress, now transparent against her sun-kissed skin, fabric clinging to the hardened buds contained by the bodice.

“Scheiße,” Elia whispered. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NS*W chapter; explicit language and subject matter

PRESENT DAY

“Here we go,” Riley uttered. She breathed out sharply from her nose.

Liam sat up, stretching his arm out to take hold of Riley’s hand in his. “I’ll spare you the details, but…” He tipped his head down for a moment, before looking up to search her eyes. “I slept with her that night.”

Riley raised an accusatory brow at him. He could see her chest rise and fall with shallow breaths, trying to control her emotions. “Okay…” she uttered. Liam said nothing while she paused to speak again. “That’s all you’re going to say? After all this storytelling?”

“To say more than that would be ungentlemanly.” Liam sighed with exasperation, running his thumb over the back of her hand. “It wouldn’t do either of us any good to relive that particular moment in time by going over everything that happened that night. I don’t wish to tarnish Elia’s name either, even if she’s just a memory.”

“Very well,” Riley replied. “Anything else happen that night that’s important to the story?”

“The storm was much stronger than the weather reports anticipated,” Liam answered. “It had blown off its projected course, and hit Kos straight on.” He inhaled deeply before continuing. “It was actually a good thing she invited me to stay with her, because I would’ve hated staying on the Ruby, and with the rain already coming down in buckets, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten to a hotel in time.”

Liam turned his gaze to the window, looking out at the midnight sky. Memories of his night with Elia flooded back every time he blinked.

TWO YEARS AGO

“Pardon?” Liam tore his eyes away from Elia’s chest to look up at her, illuminated in white-blue light from a flash of lightning. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair – though rain-soaked and matted down – fell wildly around her shoulders. He felt himself stiffen at the sight of her in disarray.

“Y—” she began, though her voice trailed off. When she spoke again, Liam couldn’t understand the words, but he thought he caught the name Jesus between the way her tongue arranged letters in a language unknown to him. In three wide steps he crossed the space of the kitchen to stand in front of her.

Liam reached out to tuck back a soaked tendril of Elia’s hair, curling his fingers around the outer edge of her ear. He rested his thumb along her jaw, and gently tilted her head up as he dipped his chin down to meet her gaze. Outside, a loud clap of thunder made Elia quiver, and Liam leaned in to kiss her.

Heart hammering in his chest, he pressed his lips to hers as the thunder rolled and clapped again outside. The first kiss was soft, hesitant; just enough to convey how much he’d wanted to kiss her without making assumptions. When he moved to pull away, his stomach dropped with relief as she clasped either side of his face and pressed her lips to his to kiss him back. She nipped at his bottom lip and he groaned softly in response, pulling her close.

In an instant, Liam gripped the back of Elia’s thighs and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he kissed her cheek and tilted his head to kiss the side of her neck, earning a pleasant whimper from her in response. “Bedroom?” he asked, voice hoarse with desire.

“Down the hall, on the left,” she answered, raking her fingers through his hair. Their kisses grew heated and frantic in the few steps it took for Liam to carry Elia to the bedroom. He grinned when he noticed the iron headboard and set her down at the foot of the bed. He kneeled down in front of her, resisting the urge to tear her clothes off; he wanted to savor every second and memorize her skin. Another grin played across his lips when she leaned forward to kiss him, breaking out into a smile before pulling away. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting you to kiss me.”

“I think I have a good idea,” he whispered. They kissed again, and Liam felt his heart race, thrumming against his ribcage. Elia gasped between thunderclaps while she raked her fingers through his hair, grabbing fistfuls of it at the base of his skull. Each time she did, he dug his fingers into her supple thighs, causing her to part her legs and pull him closer to her. Liam ran his hands over the fabric of her dress, thumbs rubbing circles over her nipples; they hardened at his touch. She closed her eyes and broke away from their kiss, biting her lower lip. “Do you like that?”

“Gods, yes,” she whimpered. She cried softly again when he pinched and rolled one of her nipples between his fingers, breathing deep to heave her chest towards him. “Yes, yes,” she whispered. Liam lowered his head and tugged at the neckline, pulling the fabric down to expose her breasts. When he cast his eyes up to her, she nodded silently and bit her bottom lip in anticipation, and with a wicked grin he began to suck and lick her pebbled skin, teasing her so she formed a stiff peak. When he lightly trapped her between his teeth, Elia sucked in air and threw her head back.

He repeated his movements on her other breast, softly kneading the one that wasn’t in his mouth until Elia had begun to pant in between her whimpers and breathy sighs. He loved to hear it; he wanted to hear more. While his mouth worked on her chest, he let his hands fall to either side of her and quickly made his way under her dress, running his fingers up her thighs. She parted them as he moved north, feeling the damp warmth between her legs, and hooked his fingers along the waistband of her underwear. With a gentle tug, Elia rose off the bed and Liam pulled them down, slipping the white lace down her legs. He sat back on his heels and tossed her panties aside, then began to rise.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to get something from my bag,” he answered. “I’ll be right back.” He hurried down the hall and back to the kitchen, where he’d left his daypack, and yanked a length of climbing rope free from one of the mesh pockets. He adjusted himself in his pants and quickly made his way back to the bedroom, only for his brows to pinch together when Elia was no longer on the bed. She emerged from the bathroom with a cup of water in her hand, having adjusted the front of her dress again. Her eyebrows arched up when she noticed what he had in his hand, and she gave him a knowing smirk as she moved towards the nightstand and pulled out a small container from the drawer. “What’s that you’ve got?”

“What’s that _you’ve_ got?” she echoed.

The back of Liam’s neck warmed. “I thought it would be fun to put all your new knot knowledge to use again.” He strode over to the bed and sat down next to her.

Elia grinned and pulled her legs up onto the mattress, crossing them as she popped a small pill from its foil backing; Liam noted the four neat rows of seven pills. “I take it at midnight,” she answered, ticking her chin towards the clock on the nightstand.

“Could I trouble you for some aspirin or naproxen? You might want to take some for yourself.”

Elia quirked her brows at him, but jutted her chin to the drawer again. “Someone’s awfully sure of themselves,” she teased, offering up a small grin. "I have both in the drawer.” Liam pulled the drawer open and opened the bottle of naproxen, tapping it until four blue pills fell into his palm. He gave two to Elia, who swallowed them with another sip of water, and handed the cup to him to drink. He emptied the contents into his mouth and swallowed the pills, setting the cup on the nightstand. “So,” she inquired, moving back to the side of the bed, next to Liam, “why did I just take that?”

“We’ve been climbing and swimming all day…tomorrow your body will be in a world of pain from using muscles you didn’t know you had.” He pivoted in place to face her, running his fingers along her shoulder. “Besides, I’ve only just begun with you.”

Elia swiftly moved from the mattress to stand in front of Liam. “My turn,” she grinned, leaning down to kiss him. Liam gripped her waist and she arched her body towards him as they deepened their kiss, tongues swirling and rolling against the other’s, until he let his hands fall to the back of her knees and began kneading her flesh as he worked his way up again. His thumb grazed the space between her legs and she sighed into his mouth, letting out a throaty moan when he ran his finger along her slit, teasing her already wet center.

With reluctance, she pulled away from his touch and dropped down to her knees, bottom lip tucked between her teeth as her nimble hands worked to undo his belt. Liam lifted his hips and watched as she tugged him free from his clothes, the length of him popping free from the damp fabric. Elia’s eyes widened as she drank him in, and she leaned forward to kiss him again. He made a muffled noise when her hands wrapped around the length of him, stroking and pumping his already hard cock.

She pulled away from his lips, and with a ravenous look in her eyes, Elia dipped her head down. Liam’s head fell back at the sheer warmth of her mouth as she went down on him, sucking and stroking with enthusiasm. She swirled her tongue around him, gently twisting her hands with each downstroke, and he rolled his hips forward in response. His eyes drifted to the back of his head when he felt her lips at his base, unsure how she was able to fit him into her mouth so easily, and he fell back onto the bed when she started humming. “Elia,” he breathed. “Fuck…Elia, I won’t last if you keep that up.”

Elia pulled her mouth away with a satisfying pop, her hands still working their magic. “So don’t, we’ve got all night.”

Liam lifted his head to see the coy smile on her face before she devoured him again, humming a nameless tune that he’d never forget. His abs tightened, the pressure of release building with every stroke of her hand and swirl of her tongue, until he couldn’t hold back. He reached down, threading a hand through her hair, grabbed a fistful, and tugged. “Elia, you’re going to make me come,” he murmured, bucking his hips towards her.

She hummed louder, until Liam felt himself release into the heat of her mouth. Gripping him tightly, he felt her press her tongue against him as she continued to suck, until his throbbing ceased. She pulled her mouth away from him, and with a tiny wink, Liam watched her swallow.

“Get undressed,” he commanded, propping himself up on the mattress. Without a word, Elia stood up and pulled the dress over her head. He felt a rush of blood return to his cock, even though she’d literally sucked the life from him a moment ago. Without dropping his gaze from her naked form, Liam patted the mattress, feeling around for the rope he’d brought with him. “Do you trust me?” He arched a brow at Elia, who’d finally broken eye contact to look at the rope in his hands.

“Yes.” Her response was quiet, almost nervous.

“Get on the bed, sweet girl.” Elia bit the edge of her lip and did as Liam asked, crawling onto the bed next to him. “Your hands, if you please.” He grinned at her and she pushed her arms forward, turning her wrists up to him. With deft precision, he wrapped the rope around her wrists several times before securing his work with knots, binding them together in makeshift handcuffs. He tipped his chin towards the wall, eyes darkening with each passing second. “Raise them against the headboard.”

Elia scooted back as best as she could with her feet, until she felt the cool metal along the back of her hands. Liam looped the rope through the frame, securing her hands above her head; she squirmed with excitement.

He hovered over her, the air between them warm and heavy. With his arms to either side of her, he kissed her again, tongues rolling once more, and her legs spread apart. He could feel heat exuding from her body, pebbled skin and goose flesh giving away her arousal. He trailed his hand down her side, noticing the way her body reacted, and slid a finger between her folds; the warmth and wetness between her legs made him stiffen again.

“Liam, please,” Elia begged, arching her body towards his touch.

“I like the way you say my name,” he murmured, sucking on a tender spot against her neck. She moaned when he sucked on her earlobe. “Say it again,” he whispered into her ear.

“Liam, please,” Elia repeated.

“Good girl,” he breathed, nipping at her earlobe.

She pulled down on the ropes, arms tensing at being unable to touch him. He pumped his fingers into her, feeling the way her inner walls gripped onto him, and he went back to memorizing every curve of her neck with his lips, brushing across her collarbone. “I need to feel you, Liam.”

She sighed as his tongue traced her nipple again, letting out a breathless whimper as he dipped between the valley of her breasts and smelled a hint of her perfume again. Her body trembled as he explored her skin further south, nimble fingers trailing behind every searing kiss he pressed to her body, past her ribs and the smooth skin around her torso. He drew his fingers free from her center, and, brown eyes dark with lust, watched her face as he sucked his fingers clean, tasting her for the first time. “You taste divine,” he rasped, barely able to contain his desire. “Think you can handle being tied up while I have my fill of you?”

Before she could answer, Liam dipped his head down and began to explore her with his tongue. Elia let out a breathy sigh and tugged on the rope again, rustling the frame against the wall. The room lit up in grey shadows from the storm outside, followed by bone-rattling claps of thunder. Elia yelped with surprise as the bedside lamp went out, and Liam paused. He looked over his shoulder towards the hallway and noticed it was dark as well. “Did we just lose power?”

Liam pulled himself away and walked over to one of the windows, peering out past the rain splattered glass. All the other buildings were pitch black. “I think it’s out for part of the island. Do you have any candles?”

“Somewhere, in the kitchen, I think,” Elia replied, tugging on the rope again. “If you’ll untie me…”

Liam grinned devilishly at her, sauntering back to the bed. “Not happening. I’m just getting started with you.” He settled down between her legs again, setting soft kisses along her inner thighs as he raised them over his shoulders.

When his tongue began to explore her once more, Elia’s whimpers and moans were drowned out by the sounds of the storm. She began to writhe beneath him as she got closer to release, and Liam hooked his hands onto her hips to keep her steady. His tongue lapped at her with each noise she made, concentrating his efforts on her clit when she started cursing. She started with Greek, then Italian, before mumbling rapidly in a language he didn’t know, almost like she was speaking tongues.

He felt her legs tense on either side of him, and knew she was close. Elia tugged on her restraints hard, her breath shallow, and her head dipped back towards the bed. “Fuck, Liam, I’m about to…you’re…” His tongue was relentless against her skin, teasing and luring her to the edge. She rolled her hips towards him, pulling hard against the rope that bound her to the bed, and let out an anguished cry before collapsing back into the mattress, panting as she caught her breath.

Slowly, Liam released his grip on her hips and propped himself up on his arms. Witnessing Elia come undone spurred him on, and he looked down at her with admiration as she composed herself, grinning shyly at him. She pouted and blew a puff of air at a lock of hair covering her eye. Liam surreptitiously dragged a hand over his mouth while she tried to clear her field of vision, before he moved up the bed and tucked it out of the way for her. “I could spend an eternity between your legs and my thirst would go unquenched,” he whispered, dropping his head down to kiss her again.

“Fuck me,” Elia sighed against his lips. “Make love to me, whatever you want to call it.”

Liam pressed himself against her thigh and she whimpered again. “I intend to.”

Their passionate cries through the night were disguised by the storm that raged all around them. Elia screamed his name to the heavens while he marked her with his teeth and his tongue, bodies crashing together in ecstasy. It was only when dawn approached, with cherry streaks of the sun’s rays stretching out over rolling, inky waves, that the storm clouds began to fade. As the world stilled around them, Liam and Elia found themselves completely spent.

He freed her from her restraints, kissing the bruises and indentations from the ropes on her wrists. As the sky shifted from indigo to sapphire, they settled into bed together. Elia curled up against his side, ear pressed to his chest, her own breaths slowing to match his heartbeat; one arm draped lazily across his torso. One of Liam’s arms was bent under a pillow, cradling his head; his other arm held Elia while his hand played with a lock of her hair, curling perfectly around his finger now that it was dry.

The last thought running through his mind before succumbing to sleep was how he’d ever be able to walk away from her.


	9. Chapter 9

PRESENT DAY

Liam eyes were trained on the moon outside. Without looking at her, he could sense Riley staring at him. “By morning, you never would’ve known a storm had rolled through. The sun was out and the air was warm, thick with humidity.” He wasn’t sure if Riley was actually listening to him, but he remembered the morning after with vivid detail.

TWO YEARS AGO

A creature of habit, Liam woke after only a few hours of sleep, with Elia in his arms. Sunlight filled the bedroom, warming his eyelids before he even blinked them open. He inhaled deeply as he stretched, breathing in the scent of Elia’s rain-washed hair that tickled his nose. She stirred awake at his movement, a quiet, throaty groan slipping out past her lips that warmed his skin. She winced, squeezing her eyes shut, and dug her nails into his ribs. “Oh my god, I think I’m dying. You sent me to heaven last night, and now I’m waking up in hell.”

He laughed, the sound of it overflowing with mirth. “Aren’t you glad you took those pills last night?”

Elia’s hand trailed down his side, slipping under the bedsheet. Liam sighed at the way her nails scraped down his skin, sending a jolt directly to his groin. He swallowed thickly, throat dry from sleep; a tiny hum vibrated in his throat when she curled her fingers around him without fully grasping him. The warmth of her hand was enough to express what was on her mind. “Don’t you dare say ‘I told you so’ right now.”

Liam turned his head to look at her, eyes squinting against the daylight. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” His eyelids fluttered shut and another hum formed in his throat as Elia stroked him; soft flutters pressed against his ribs in the form of slow, tender kisses from her lips. He exhaled sharply through his nose and ticked a muscle in his jaw, setting one hand over Elia’s, and she paused. “While I’d love nothing more than to see where this will lead, I ought to check in with the captain and make sure I still have a boat.” He chuckled softly in response to Elia’s whine, and she withdrew her hand.

“Ever the dutiful owner,” Elia sighed, though an understanding grin crossed her face. “Breakfast before you leave?”

“If coffee’s included, definitely.” Liam sat up and stretched, and Elia followed. He grinned when she let the bedsheet fall to her waist, unencumbered as she stretched her arms to the ceiling. He felt himself twitch under the sheet at the sight of her bare breasts. “I…might need the use of your dryer, or a clothesline. I’m pretty sure my shirt is balled up somewhere on your kitchen counter.”

Elia giggled as she rose from the bed, walking with a slight limp towards a wardrobe. Liam gathered the sheet around his waist and nearly dropped it at the sight of the bruises on her hips and markings on her neck, staining her honeyed skin purple and rose. Her wrists matched the bougainvillea crawling around the front door. She pulled something off a hanger and slipped on a floor length sundress covered in a colorful tile print over her head. “Definitely have coffee on hand,” she answered, picking up his pants off the floor. She bunched them in her hands a few times and nodded. “Yup, still pretty damp.”

Liam stood up slowly, muscles aching with each movement despite the naproxen already in his system. He picked his slightly damp boxer briefs off the floor, bashfully handing them over to Elia when she held her hands out, and nodded his thanks. “Thank you, Elia. **I won’t forget this.** ”

Elia tilted her head to one side and grinned at him. “What, me popping your clothes into a dryer so you’re not walking around naked? That’s totally an option, by the way.” She winked at him and his cheeks warmed at the suggestion.

“I’d be game if you are,” he shot back. “And I meant for all of this. All of you.”

“Maybe after I’m done cooking things on the stove.” She turned around and ducked into the bathroom, emerging with a clean towel. “Something to keep you decent while your clothes dry.”

Liam let the sheet fall to the ground, noticing the way Elia bit her bottom lip at the sight of him, and pulled her close. “Just so you know,” he whispered into her ear, “I plan on lifting up the skirt of this lovely dress you have on and repaying your kindness. Maybe against the counter.” His fingers played with the strap on her shoulder before threading through the soft waves in her hair. “Definitely on the kitchen table.”

Elia’s breath caught in her throat before exhaling with an excited shiver. “Promises, promises,” she teased.

“I’m a man of my word.”

Elia licked her lips and looked up at Liam through her lashes. “Well then, give me two minutes to start the dryer and get at least one cup of coffee on the stove, and you can keep your promise.”

Liam leaned down and lowered his head, feeling the pleasant tingling sensation that coursed through his body as they kissed. When they finally pulled apart, he felt lightheaded; she swayed as she set her heels back to the ground, eyes closed and grinning. She walked towards the door to leave and Liam unfurled the towel, twirled it between his hands, and snapped it within inches of her derriere.

Elia yelped with surprise, shooting him a playful smile as she walked down the hall to the kitchen. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the bathroom to splash water on his face. He picked up the bottle of mouthwash on the counter and took a swig, swishing it in his mouth in lieu of being able to brush his teeth. He nearly choked on it when he heard Elia yelp in the kitchen, followed by what sounded like arguing.

Liam sprinted the short distance down the hallway. “Elia, what’s going on, are you alright?” He skidded on his feet, suddenly feeling extremely underdressed.

A young woman stood in the kitchen, arms crossed over her chest. She was dressed in an ivory sheath dress and nude wedges; her hair was pulled back in a sleek bun, and she bore a striking resemblance to Elia.

“Liam, uh, this is my sister. Mariela.” Elia’s eyes were cast to the ground. “Mariela, this is Liam.”

Liam’s face grew hot when Mariela looked at him, her features twisting into a disapproving frown. “Well. Now I see how you got all those marks on you.” She cast a knowing look between them, and Elia rubbed at her wrists in an attempt to cover them. “Liam, is it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered.

“Could you give me a moment alone with my sister? I need to speak with her about a…family issue. A private one.”

Elia quipped back a response to Mariela in a foreign language, which only seemed to upset her more.

Liam grabbed his bag off the floor and backed away. “Right. You two should talk. I’m just going to…” He pointed down the hall in the direction of the bedroom, even though Elia stared at him. She raised her eyebrows, the rest of her face tense as she shook her head back and forth, silently pleading not to leave the room. “I’m going to change and I’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”

He couldn’t leave the room fast enough; the sisters resumed arguing as soon as he stepped out of sight, though he had no idea what the argument was about. He ducked back into the bedroom and shut the door, scrambling for the extra change of clothes he’d packed in his bag.

Once he was dressed, he checked his phone, swiping away unimportant e-mails to see that he’d missed several calls through the night. He listened to a message from the captain, and one from the butler. Gathering up his things, he ventured out into the hallway and made his way back to the kitchen.

Elia and Mariela were still arguing, but their voices had lowered. The air in the room was incredibly tense as he stepped into the archway, and their eyes turned to him. Mariela’s stare was full of disdain, while Elia’s lively brown eyes had dulled with disappointment. As much as he wanted to rush to Elia’s side to comfort her and spend the rest of the day re-enacting their night together, it was easy to see that Mariela had no intention of leaving.

Thankfully she accepted a handshake from him when he extended his hand. “Miss de Leon, I apologize for my…state of undress earlier. Elia was kind enough to let me stay here while a storm rolled through last night.”

Mariela’s perfectly arched brow raised at his greeting, though her eyes shot a silent, questioning look to Elia instead of him. “She told me you own a large vessel, anchored in the port here?”

“It’s my family’s boat,” he replied. “I’m typically fine to be out on the water, with the exception of inclement weather.”

“A bit strange, since she also said you’re from an island country not far from here, no?”

Liam’s adam’s apple bobbed, but he steadied his nerves. “An unfortunate sailing incident involving bad weather with a friend when we were boys. It’s stuck with me.” Mariela’s stern expression softened for a brief second, before reverting back to the impassive mask he was so used to seeing from the nobles at court. “It appears the two of you have much to discuss, enough to interrupt Elia’s well-earned time off after years of studying for her degree. I’ll be on my way.” He stepped towards Elia, kissing her chastely on the cheek.

Elia clasped his shoulder, pressing her cheek to his lips. “You don’t have to leave. What about your clothes? They’ll be just a few minutes in the dryer.”

Liam gently pulled her hand off his shoulder, curling their fingers together, and kissed the back of her hand. He offered a glimmer of a smile to her. “Have dinner with me tonight? You can return them then.”

Elia’s eyes tinged pink as she rapidly blinked back tears. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Mariela replied. “We have to travel back to Athens to sort out a family matter.”

“Day after tomorrow?” Elia asked. “I’ll be back by then. Meet me here, eight o’clock?”

Liam bowed his head with a reaffirming nod. “I’d love nothing more.” Elia walked him to the door as Mariela walked around the table to avoid saying goodbye to him. He stepped out onto the covered alcove, and Elia pulled the door closed behind her, arm twisted behind her back to hold it open a crack. He leaned down and cupped the side of her face, feeling her lean into his caress. When she closed her eyes, a stray tear spilled out; he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. “Elia, it’s alright,” he whispered, peppering her lips with soft kisses. “Family comes first, does it not?”

She blinked and another tear slipped past; a sad smile pressed her lips together. “I don’t want you to leave this way. Not after last night. But my sister…she does this.”

Liam stooped to cradle her face with both of his hands. “Hey, I’ll see you for dinner soon. Take care of your family matter, and look forward to that. I know I will.”

With a small sniffle, Elia nodded in agreement. “Thank you for being so understanding.” He kissed her once more before letting his hands fall to his sides. “I’ll see you soon.” They offered each other small, hopeful smiles as she slipped back through the door and clicked it shut. As he turned to leave, he heard Mariela’s voice from inside the apartment.

“How could you sleep with him, when you know what’s at stake?”


	10. Chapter 10

PRESENT DAY

“So what happened the next morning?”

Liam was pulled back into the room by Riley’s voice. “We planned to have breakfast together before I left to check on the crew and the boat, but her sister was surprisingly there, uninvited, waiting for her. She’d come to get Elia to deal with a family matter that required traveling to Athens and asked me to leave, in not so many words.”

“I feel like you’re not telling me something.”

Liam sighed. “My clothes were still damp from the rain, so she’d popped them in the dryer. I just wanted to get out of there, as it was clear her sister wasn’t going anywhere without Elia. Elia said she’d be back in two days, so we agreed to meet for dinner, and I could collect my clothes.”

“You asked her out on a date??”

Liam looked over to his wife, who was fuming on the other end of the sofa. He wasn’t sure when she’d moved to the farthest cushion, but there was now a chasm of silk moire between them. “Not a date, just dinner.”

“Yeah,” Riley scoffed. “That’s called a date, Liam.”

“I wanted to get my clothes back, and ask her about something her sister said after I left.”

“Ask about what?”

“I suppose she thought I’d be out of earshot, but I overheard her ask Elia how she could sleep with me, knowing what was at stake. It didn’t sit well with me, and I felt I deserved to know what she meant by that.”

TWO YEARS AGO

Liam didn’t want to eavesdrop more than he had already, but it was pointless to try, since Elia and her sister resumed their argument in another language. He made his way back to the port feeling confused and downtrodden, unsure what Mariela’s question could mean. Something important in regards to their family was at stake, and somehow he’d put a wrench in the situation.

After checking in with the crew and boarding the Ruby, Liam spent the next several hours trying to look up Elia’s family online, in hopes of finding some sort of clue to the question that lingered in the air. When he came up empty handed, he considered contacting Bastien to use the Crown’s resources, but he didn’t want to stir up unnecessary attention either.

He let the question loom over his head for two days, awaiting Elia’s return. In all the chaos of the storm and her sister, they’d never managed to exchange numbers so that he could get copies of the photos from their climbing adventure.

When it was time to meet Elia for dinner, Liam dressed casually once again, donning a light pair of slacks and an ash grey button down shirt. He was a few minutes early; he’d walked unusually fast due to excitement over getting to see Elia and nervousness about asking about Mariela’s question to her. He stood outside the apartment, one hand poised to knock, when he heard Elia’s voice inside, speaking to someone. He decided to take a chance and lowered his hand, listening to her for a moment.

“Mama, she had no right to come here and get me involved!” Elia’s voice was strained with irritation. “I’m not a lawyer. I’m not even a law student yet!” Liam could hear her heels on the laminate floor; it sounded like she was pacing. He knew she’d just finished studying for her bachelor’s degree, but she hadn’t specified it was for law school. “Yes, Mama, I know…I know.” Elia began to speak in the strange, foreign language over the phone, but Liam picked up a few words that sounded like Spanish. She mentioned something about an idiot and a possibly an annulment, before saying something about company – likely referring to their dinner. Elia raised her voice again, sounding defensive as her heels clicked against the floor, before softening her tone and telling her mother she loved her.

Liam checked his watch; he was still a few minutes early for their dinner. He counted to fifty before knocking on the door, to give Elia a chance to come down from what sounded like an unsettling phone call. He smiled when she opened the door, holding forth a bouquet of blush pink roses. “Good evening, Elia,” he grinned. He was surprised by her appearance when she pulled the door back to let him in; she was wearing a fitted pencil skirt and a white silk blouse. A double strand of black pearls adorned her neck, along with a matching set of black pearl stud earrings. Her long, luscious hair was styled back into an understated updo. She looked older than twenty-two, and contrasted the free-spirited bohemian dresses she’d worn around him, but there was no denying she looked devastatingly beautiful. He thought she looked classy and graceful, and dared to admit there was an aura of regality around her, simply standing in the doorway.

Elia flashed him a weary smile. “Liam. Come in, come in!” She accepted the flowers and searched for a vase, while Liam shut the door behind him. “I’m so sorry I’m not ready,” she began to explain, unwrapping the flowers from the paper. “My flight was delayed, and I’d barely got in when I had to take a call.”

His brows furrowed together, watching the way her hands trembled as she hurriedly arranged the flowers in a pitcher of water. He reached out for her hand, and she clamped onto his fingers, turning towards him before breaking into tears. Liam wrapped his other arm around her in an embrace, feeling Elia’s small frame shudder against his chest. “Elia, what is it?” He drew large circles against her back, holding her until he felt her release her grip on his hand. “What happened in Athens?”

Elia turned and searched her purse for a pack of tissues, dabbing at her eyes, while Liam pulled two bottles of water from the fridge. They sat down at the kitchen table, Liam noting the way Elia tucked one foot behind an ankle, rather than crossing her legs at the knee. “Ugh, it’s stupid, I don’t want to bother you with it,” she groaned, dabbing at her eyes. “I’m sorry for my outburst, I…I just haven’t had much time to process what happened, away from Mariela.”

Liam leaned forward and covered Elia’s hands with his own, stroking the side of her wrist with his thumb. “You can talk to me, you know. I’m well versed with difficult family members.”

“I hardly think Leo’s a pain.”

“You met him for five minutes and he was trying to charm you,” Liam chuckled. “That was about as sweet as he gets.”

“I think I’d be willing to trade him for my older sibling,” she chuckled humorlessly.

Liam gently squeezed her hands. “ **Not everything is a joke**. Will you tell me what happened?”

Elia breathed in deep and exhaled, and Liam drew his hands back. She fidgeted with the tissue in her hands, pulling at the material without really tearing it. “I told you I studied international affairs for school.” Liam nodded. “It was in preparation for studying international law for graduate school. For whatever reason, my sister, in her three extra years of wisdom, thinks that my intention to study law qualified me to attend a court hearing with her…even though our family has a lawyer, and could have easily referred one for her hearing.”

“A hearing for what, exactly?” Liam’s brows knit together.

“Mariela married a man that claimed to be someone he wasn’t. He used our family connections to make some shady deals and when it all went south, he tried to make Mariela and my parents pay for his shortcomings.” Elia twisted up the tissue in her hands, wringing it tightly. “I…I can’t really say much more about it right now, but she came here and made me go with her to the hearing under the guise as her translator. She thought a court translator wouldn’t explain everything.”

Liam’s brows knit together even more, forming two vertical lines between them. “Alright…” He looked at the way she kept twisting the tissue, seeing how red her fingers turned as she applied more pressure. “Anything else? Right as I left the other day, she seemed upset that we’d been together, because something was at stake.”

Elia visibly shirked her shoulders, lowering her eyes to the table. “You heard that, did you?” She shook her head, seemingly chastising herself.

“What did she mean by that? What should it matter if you and I spent a night together?”

“She had no right to say that to you, Liam. I’m sorry.” Elia looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes glossy with tears. “She was taking out her anger at me, and on you as a result. With her marriage basically being a sham, it’s on me as the next in line to…step up? Step into the light? To take the pressure off her while my family sorts out her mess.” She offered him a small, tight grin. “That’s all she meant by it.”

“So your sister messes up, putting your family name in a negative light, and you’ve got to avert attention and be the golden child?” He let out a wry laugh. “Wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“Life as the Second Child,” Elia replied. Liam nodded again. “Frightfully heavy conversation for two people on summer vacation.”

Liam tucked his lips into a taut, neutral smile, and reached over to hold Elia’s hands in his again. “What do you say to putting your family troubles aside for the time being, and we make the most of tonight, starting with dinner?”

“I have a counter offer,” Elia suggested.

“Practicing for law school?” He teased, eyes lighting up when a grin began to spread across her lips.

“How much longer are you here, before you have to go back home?”

“About a week, I suppose,” Liam answered. “Leo’s got an important meeting coming up, and as an advisor, I shouldn’t miss it.”

“What if, for one week, you and I forget that life exists outside of this island. No family obligations, no worrying about the future. Just…Elia and Liam, eating and drinking and maybe re-enacting what happened during the storm? For seven days and nights.”

Liam arched his brow at her. “I’m listening…”

“A little summer romance, and then we go our separate ways. No pining after the other person once the seven days are up, no need to make empty promises to stay in touch. No troubled histories or uncertain futures…just, now. Here. Agreed?” She sat up, pulling her hands free, and stretched one out towards Liam, offering a handshake.

“No strings attached?”

“No strings.”

Liam wrapped his hand around hers. “How do I know you won’t fall for me in that time?” He winked at her.

Elia shook her head, closing her eyes as she smiled. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

He began to shake her hand lightly. “To be clear, you’re asking for a fling.”

“Yes.”

“Prepare to be flung, Elia de Leon!” Liam leapt out of his chair towards Elia, grabbing her by the waist, and tossed her over his shoulder. She yelped as he headed down the hallway towards the bedroom.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NS*W chapter; explicit language and subject matter

PRESENT DAY

“ **How long have you been like this**?” Liam gestured at the space between them on the sofa. 

“I think I’ve heard more than enough for tonight,” Riley scowled. She pushed herself up from the sofa, heading towards the door.

Liam leapt up from his seat, rushing to block her, reaching out for her wrist. “Riley, Love,” he pleaded. “I’m nearly done.” 

Riley turned to face him, pulling her wrist free to cross her arms in front of her chest. She raised a skeptical brow at her husband. “With a week’s worth of summertime sex? I don’t want to hear about your sexcapades any more than I have to.”

Liam’s lips pressed into a thin line before he spoke. “Do you think I wanted to hear about all of your exes? The musician? Or the magician?” He tilted his head to one side, lids drooping to show his disdain. “Or Johan and Spring Break in Amsterdam?” 

Riley’s cheeks tinged pink and she tucked her lips against her teeth. “Yes, well I—”

“I never asked for the sordid details from your past that you were so eager to disclose,” Liam interrupted. “I merely stated that I slept with Elia that night. There is such a thing as oversharing, even between two people who love each other and want to know everything.” 

Riley exhaled and let her arms fall to either side of her, dropping her defensive stance. “You’re right,” she spoke quietly. “I didn’t realize how uncomfortable it would be to hear about you being with someone else, even if we didn’t even know each other when this happened.” She swallowed down the guilt in her throat before continuing. “And I’m sorry for putting you in an awkward position when I shared more than I should have about my dating history.” 

“I know why you did it, I just…didn’t need the play-by-play.” Liam took a step closer and reached for Riley’s hands; this time she met him halfway and curled her fingers over his. “I’ll skip what you already know took place, but I do want to tell you how it ended.” 

TWO YEARS AGO

True to their word, Liam and Elia spent nearly every waking moment together for the remainder of their time on the island. Nights were spent twisted in the sheets, drawing breathless gasps from each other until they collapsed from exhaustion. They woke hours later, long into the morning, in one another’s arms.

It was the first time Liam hadn’t risen with the sun, and he didn’t care; he could have spent all day in bed with Elia, tuning out the world around them, just to see her sleepy smile every time he opened his eyes. They spent time on the beach, swimming in the warm waters of the Aegean Sea and sunning themselves on the pebbled shores. She indulged his wishes to show her historical parts of the island, smiling at the way his face would light up telling her about the Basilica of Agios Stefanos, the Antimachia Windmill, or small details while sharing a meal in Eleftherias Square. 

They visited the sanctuary at Plaka Forest often, walking amongst the bold birds and curious cats, sharing stories of their childhoods, though Liam was careful not to disclose details about living in a palace or the fact that he was, in fact, a prince. Elia seemed to be just as cautious when she spoke about her family, but he attributed it to her sister’s last visit souring her time away. 

PRESENT DAY

“We made the most of our time together, touring around the island and relaxing by the water,” he began, already sensing Riley’s unease. 

“Aside from the obvious,” Riley mumbled. 

Liam closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, taking a calming breath before continuing. “Per the agreement, yes,” he answered quietly. “We shared meals together. While I had no issue going out to eat to support restaurants during tourist season, Elia wanted to balance it out by cooking some meals. She argued it was just as important to support local farms, and some dishes were worth the effort of making.” 

He thought back to one of the last nights he spent with Elia, forgoing certain details as Riley did her best not to sulk.

TWO YEARS AGO

They were laying in bed one night, the sound of the waves hitting the shore from the open window as the only sound in the room. Liam played with a lock of Elia’s hair between his fingers, while she rested her head against his chest. His eyes drifted closed each time her petal-soft lips pressed kisses to his chest. When his stomach rumbled, Elia giggled into his ribs. “I envy your metabolism,” she whispered. “I don’t know where you put it all, you’re built like a Greek god!” 

“Being with you every night burns more calories than you think,” Liam teased. “Best ab workout I could ask for.” He kissed the hair at the top of her head, hearing Elia giggle when his stomach rumbled again. “What I’d give for a plate of pasta right now.” 

“What _would_ you give?” Elia hinted, wiggling her brows suggestively. 

“At this hour? I’d give you the world,” he chuckled. 

With little more than a cheeky grin, Elia got out of bed, pulling the sheer coverup she’d worn at the beach that day off a hanger. She slipped her arms through it and tied it loosely at the waist, tossing Liam a wink as she headed down the hall. He pulled on his boxer briefs and padded down the hall in his bare feet, where he found her in the kitchen. 

Elia filled a pot with water while Liam leaned in the entryway, watching her gather a few tomatoes and an onion from the counter, before pulling a jar of garlic cloves and butter from the fridge. His eyes darted from watching her hands as she made quick work of dicing the onion, to catching glimpses of her tanned skin underneath the tissue thin robe. She set the diced onions aside in a bowl, pausing to twist her hair up before she chopped the tomatoes. Liam’s brows pinched together as she tapped at her wrist, finding it without a hair tie that she usually kept on her; he grinned when she opened and closed drawers before pulling a solitary chopstick from a tray and poked it through her hair to keep it in place. “I’d ask if you need help, but I think I’d just get in the way.” 

Elia looked over her shoulder and smiled. Liam made his way over to where she stood at the counter, roughly chopping up the tomatoes, tugging lightly at her robe to pull one side free. He dipped his head down to kiss her neck, noticing the way she set the knife down when his fingers danced across her skin. “Careful now,” she warned. “Wouldn’t want either of us to get cu—” she gasped when Liam slid his fingers between her legs. Elia leaned forward, splaying her hands flat on the counter, pressing her backside to Liam. “I thought you didn’t want to get in the way,” she sighed.

“Am I?” He teased, moving his fingers against her in slow, lazy circles. 

“Let me get this started,” she moaned again, pressing against him with more force. A tiny whimper escaped her throat when he withdrew his fingers. “You’re going to pay for that,” she teased, before quickly returning to the task before her. 

“I think it’ll be worth it,” he replied. He took a seat at the table while Elia dropped the tomatoes into a saucepan with a chunk of butter and the diced onions, along with a few garlic cloves from the jar. His eyes widened when she pulled a wood cutting board from a cabinet and dusted it with flour. She pulled a ball of dough from the fridge and cut a sizable piece from it, pressing and rolling it into a flat sheet, pausing only to flour the surface to keep it from sticking. Then she loosely folded the sheet over a few times, before slicing through it with a knife to make noodles, until she made enough for them to share. 

Elia checked on the water before sashaying towards Liam. She untied her robe and pulled the tie free, eyeing his wrists with a smirk. Liam tried to wipe the excited expression off his face, but it was no use. “I told you that you’d pay for your little distraction earlier,” Elia teased, stepping around to the back of the chair. She playfully poked her nails across the top of his shoulder. “Your hands, good sir.” 

Liam stretched his arms back and felt Elia bind his wrists with the soft chiffon, even pausing to weave it through the back of the chair. Once his hands were tied, she moved to face him, and tugged at his waistband. He pressed his feet to the floor to raise himself off the chair as she pulled his boxer briefs down, her eyes lingering on him. “And how will the lady make me pay?” 

His question was answered when she straddled him and lowered herself onto him, eliciting strangled moans when she began to roll her hips. With her body pressed to his, he longed to caress her, to lean forward and run his hands through her hair to pull her close, but he was at her mercy. He’d just begun to feel himself heading towards release when Elia pulled herself away; Liam groaned with displeasure as she returned to the stove. “Elia, what the hell?” 

“Patience,” she grinned. She gave the sauce a stir, before sprinkling salt into the pot of water and dropping in handfuls of the fresh pasta. She tapped at a kitchen timer before crossing the space and kissing Liam hungrily as she lowered herself onto him once more. His abs tightened and he groaned into her mouth as she moved at a breakneck pace, taking him directly to the edge in a matter of seconds. 

“Elia,” he gasped. “I’m not going to last at this pace.” He tugged at the fabric on his wrists, wishing his hands were free so he could dig his fingers into her hips. 

“Good,” she whispered, nipping at his earlobe. “Timer’s got less than a minute and I want to feel you come before it goes off.” She raked her hands through his thick hair, down to his scalp, sending pleasant tingles through his body. Liam bucked his hips up to her in response. “That’s it,” she coaxed. 

With one hand, Elia tugged a fistful of hair at the back of Liam’s head, digging her nails with her other hand into his shoulder, and he cursed under his breath as he felt himself explode within her. The naughty grin that played across her lips was almost enough to get the blood rushing between his legs again. He sighed with a bit of relief with the timer pinged, and Elia pulled herself away once more, even though he ached at the loss of her around him.

He waited patiently as she prepared the food, sprinkling herbs from the bunch drying in the window. Once she’d plated the pasta, she untied his hands, and he sprang free from the chair. With a devilish grin of his own, he wrapped Elia in his embrace, kissing her wantonly. He leaned down further to draw one of her hardened buds between his lips, relishing the way her head dipped back each time he did so. 

When he stood to rise, Liam paused by Elia’s ear. “Turn around,” he murmured, slipping the robe off her shoulders. “Hands on the table.” He drew his head back to look into her eyes, and Elia fought another grin as she turned around. Her giggles switched to breathy moans and cries of pleasure with every thrust of Liam’s hips. 

Their meal was lukewarm on the counter by the time they floated back down to reality. 


	12. Chapter 12

PRESENT DAY

“She cooked for me one night, and it was one of the most memorable meals I’d ever had. Ordinary ingredients she bought at market the day before, turned into such a comforting dish.” 

“What did she make?” 

Liam swallowed thickly. “Pasta in a tomato sauce reduction. Even made fresh dough for noodles.” 

“Wait,” Riley paused, sitting up from where she sat on the sofa. “Are you telling me that the meal we just ate…the one you had prepared for our first date…” She looked at Liam incredulously. “Was something you picked up from her??” 

“Not quite, no,” Liam protested. “A similar base from the tomatoes, but the dish I made is closer to something my mother used to make when I was a child, you know that.” 

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Riley uttered. “What else have you been lying about?”

“I’m not lying about anything, Riley! She cooked me a meal from scratch, and it stuck with me, that’s all. It reminded me how meaningful a simple meal can be for someone y—“

“Someone you love?” Riley finished. “Are you telling me that you loved her, Liam? Because you told _me_ you’d never told anyone you loved them before you met me!” 

Liam opened his mouth to reply, before closing it in silence. He took a deep breath in an effort to slow down his racing heart. “ **What do you want me to say?** ” With a sigh, he looked into Riley’s eyes, which burned with anger behind a glossy veil of tears. “You are, and always have been, the first person I’ve uttered those words to, at least in a romantic sense. If you want to get technical, I’m pretty sure I told Drake I loved him after he dropped out of school to help me get through the assassination attempt on my family when we were teens.” 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” 

“Perhaps you were correct earlier.” Liam stood up and crossed the room to pour himself a generous serving of Scotch. “This was a mistake.” 

“What?”

“I shouldn’t have told you about Elia,” Liam replied. “You’re judging me for being with someone before I even knew you existed, when I listened to you go on and on about your previous relationships like you were waving them in front of my face to get a reaction. I didn’t know you when you were with those men…when you loved some of them.” 

“But you said I was the first woman you loved, in the maze…”

Liam knocked back half the contents of his glass, staring out the window once more. “That’s true. When I said ‘I love you’ in the hedge maze, that was the first time I said it out loud. But is it so difficult to believe I cared about another woman before you came into my life, without actually uttering the words ‘I love you’ to her?” 

“Did you though?” Riley’s voice wavered. “Love her?” 

Liam turned around to face her, seeing the way her chin quivered. He closed his eyes slowly and exhaled. “I don’t know. I felt _something_ , but my time with Elia had an expiration date.”

“So…what?” Riley asked. “If your time with her didn’t have an end date, you would have said it to her first?” Liam shrugged silently in response. “How did it end between the two of you?”

Liam stared through Riley as he thought back to his last night with Elia. 

TWO YEARS AGO

With the remainder of their time together rapidly approaching, Liam and Elia made the most of their window of freedom. The day before they were both set to leave the island, they parted for several hours so Liam could check in with the captain of the Ruby, and Elia could have time to herself to pack. 

While Liam walked back to the pier, he contemplated asking Elia to rescind their agreement. Against his own efforts, he’d started falling for her, and he wanted to see if they could find a way to continue seeing one another. Liam knew that before he could ask that of her, he would have to come clean about his family and the fact that he was a prince. He bit the inside of his cheek as he walked, wondering what Elia’s reaction would be to his confession; he hoped it wouldn’t change things between them. 

Liam weaved through the narrow streets between residents of the island and tourists on holiday, when something in a shop window caught his eye. He ducked inside, smiling kindly at a woman behind the counter, and began conversing with her in Greek about the glimmering item that made him pause. 

—

Elia was more subdued than usual through most of dinner, though Liam didn’t need to ask why. They were both anxious and quiet when they walked along the beach after dinner, hands intertwined while the cool sea water lapped at their feet. He stole glances at her, doing his best to remember the way she looked in the late summer moonlight and the way they mirrored their footsteps in the sand; the hem of her dress was soaked with seawater, seeming to keep her rooted to the ground. He wanted to keep her there as well. 

She squeezed his hand gently and peered up to look at him. “Do you want to come up?” 

“Of course,” he replied. 

They returned to her apartment, and Liam’s heart sank when he saw her suitcases by the sofa. She chuckled nervously as she locked the door, turning around to face him. “I don’t know why I feel so nervous around you now, almost like it’s the first time being alone with you.” 

Liam hung his suit jacket on the back of one of the kitchen chairs, offering a shy, half-grin to Elia when he turned to look at her. HIs heart pounded in his chest, but he breathed slowly, stretching his arms out as he stepped towards Elia. A lump formed in his throat when she wrapped her arms around his ribs and he felt her shudder, holding back tears as they embraced one another. “I feel the same way as well,” he whispered. 

He leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of her head, inhaling the scent of night-blooming jasmine in her hair. Elia pulled back so she could tilt her chin up, and they kissed one another, softly and tenderly. Liam felt Elia’s lips tremble against his; when he opened his eyes to steal a glance, she had tear trails down her cheeks. “Elia, what’s wrong?” 

Elia shook her head and swiped at her tears with the back with her palms. “Nothing, it’s nothing,” she muttered. 

“It’s not nothing,” Liam replied. “You’re crying.” Taking her hand when they pulled apart, he led her into the living room, and they sat down on the sofa, facing one another. “Something’s been on your mind all evening, hasn’t it?” 

Elia picked at the fringe on a blanket laid across the top of the sofa. “I had a rather…interesting phone call this afternoon, while I was packing,” she finally admitted. She looked up to see Liam listening intently. “My parents. Do you remember how I told you they’d basically mapped out the next several years of my life?” Liam nodded silently. “Well, they decided that instead of going to law school, the next step in my life is to get married.” 

Liam felt his heart plummet. “What do you mean? They don’t want you to study anymore?” 

Elia shook her head, fidgeting with the fringe between her fingers again. “With Mariela’s divorce in the spotlight, marrying me off is their answer to improving our family image.” She shrugged her shoulders, smiling sadly. “Everybody loves a wedding,” she added, though her tone dripped with sorrow. “But I told them I wasn’t going to go through with it…that I want to study first.” 

“What was their reaction?” 

“There was a lot of yelling. A lot,” she shrugged again. “Threats of cutting me off financially, disowning me altogether.” 

“I don’t understand,” Liam replied. “Why is it so important that you get married right now, aside from diverting attention away from your sister?” 

“There’s more attention than usual on my family due to our political…affiliations. They want me to marry the son of someone rather significant.”

“A political marriage? To unite two opposing parties for peace?” 

“Something like that, yes.” 

Liam reached over and grasped Elia’s hand to stop her from fidgeting with the blanket. “Elia, what aren’t you telling me?” 

Elia tucked her lips between her teeth to keep them from quivering, and she focused her attention on Liam’s hands, unable to look him in the eye when she spoke again. “I refused to go through with it. When I leave tomorrow, I’m not going back home. I changed my ticket, and once my parents find out, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be on my own.” She pulled her hand away to wipe fresh tears from her face. “So tonight…is goodbye.” Elia finally looked up to see Liam’s perplexed expression. “I know I said this was supposed to be a fun, carefree week together, but it’s been so much more than that to me, Liam. You showed me what it was like to have someone like me for me, instead of my family.” 

He chuckled softly at her confession, grinning when her brows pinched together at his reaction. “I was going to say the same thing to you, oddly enough.” 

“Which part?” 

“The bit at the end,” Liam chuckled again. “Without knowing much about my background, you took the time to get to know me. I will forever be grateful to you for doing that.” He squeezed her hand gently. “The truth is, I wanted to confess something to you tonight, knowing our time together will end once morning comes.” He swallowed nervously, trying to steady himself for what he was about to say next. 

“What secrets are you hiding? It can’t be worse than ‘girl decides to run away after refusing to go through arranged, political marriage’, can it?” 

Liam leaned forward and cupped the side of Elia’s face with his other hand. “You’re braver than I could be, in your position,” he answered. He cleared his throat as he drew his hand away from her face, feeling his mouth go dry. “The truth is…I’m a prince.”

Elia pulled her hand back to cover her mouth as she gasped, staring at Liam. With one finger poised in front of her lips, she uttered a question. “Are there a lot of princes where you come from?” 

“Leo’s the Crown Prince, but it’s uh…just the two of us. Surprise,” he answered. “My father is a king.” 

“Like…Leo’s William and you’re Harry, and your dad is basically like the Queen of England? That kind of thing?” 

Liam shrugged awkwardly. “More or less, yes.” He searched Elia’s face for a reaction.

Elia blinked at him several times, and then closed her eyes, smiling sadly as another round of tears glistened down her cheeks. Liam moved closer across the sofa and wiped her tears away as she sat in front of him, simply shaking her head. “It doesn’t even matter,” she whispered quietly. She tilted her head to the ceiling and blinked away more tears. “In another life I could have fallen in love with you.” 

Liam brushed away the tears that had fallen to Elia’s jawline, gently tilting her chin down to look into her eyes. “I could fall in love with you in this life,” he revealed, shedding a tear of his own when he saw the joy in her eyes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> slightly NS*W (only a couple of lines)

PRESENT DAY

“The last night we were together, I confessed that I was a prince,” Liam answered, blinking sharply. “She told me she was essentially running away from home, to avoid having to go through an arranged marriage her parents set up while she was away.” He finished the rest of the Scotch in his glass as Riley looked on at him. “When I left the following morning, that was the last time I saw her.”

Riley narrowed her eyes at him, confused. “That’s it? You never exchanged numbers, or emails, anything?” Her brows furrowed together to form a small line between them. “She had nothing to say about you being a prince while you were together?” 

“She said my title didn’t matter, which caught me off guard. I offered to let her stay here while she figured out what to do next, but she refused, more for my sake than her own. As for remaining in contact…” Liam paused to shrug. “She changed numbers within a day or two after we parted ways. My best guess is she didn’t want to make it easy for her family to track her down or contact her. Whatever issues she had with them seemed to run much deeper than a political union, and I don’t blame her for attempting to cut all ties.” 

“That’s…sad, now that you’ve told me the whole story.”

“It was for the best,” Liam replied. “She gave me a glimpse at what it felt like to have someone care about me, without the Crown dangling front and center. You’ve shown me so much more, with each passing day.” 

Riley patted his hand sympathetically. “You’re one in a million.” 

“As are you, my queen,” Liam answered, pulling her hand up to meet his lips. “Now, can we agree that our pasts stay in the past, and you and I can look towards our future together?” 

Riley sighed softly and nodded her head. “Yes. For now though, I just want to go to sleep.” She rose up from the sofa, curling her fingers around Liam’s hand. “Bed?” 

“You head up, I’ll put out the fire and join you in a moment.” He stood up from the sofa and placed a light kiss to her cheek. Riley gave him a sleepy grin before leaving the parlor, and Liam turned to stand by the fireplace, gazing into the embers as they flickered under the charred wood. It reminded him of the way Elia’s hair flashed auburn in the sunlight, the morning he saw her for the last time.

TWO YEARS AGO

Following the revelation of their secrets, Liam and Elia left a trail of clothing from the sofa to the bedroom, kissing one another between soft sighs and bittersweet tears. They made love that night, slowly and tenderly, without the need for ropes or blindfolds; he had no desire to bind her to anything, cognizant of the intangible weight on her shoulders from her decision to defy her parents. He just wanted to be with her; to pause time and keep them in that room, on that island, forever. He wanted to watch the seasons change with Elia in his arms and fall asleep to the sound of her breathing quietly against his chest. He wanted to smell her jasmine-scented shampoo in the dead of winter and feel her hair tickle his skin in the middle of the night. 

They laid in bed, facing each other in the darkness of night. Liam ran his fingers up and down the curve of Elia’s body from her ribs to her hips, etching her lines to a memory only his fingers would know. She shuddered softly into her pillow, fighting sleep. “You could come with me tomorrow,” he said softly. “Stay with me, while you figure out a plan.”

She sighed, her breath cooling the skin on his arm. “I’d just be delaying the inevitable.” Elia looked up to see Liam’s eyes glossy in the moonlight, silently pleading with her to reconsider. “If I left with you, I would definitely fall, Liam.” 

“So let’s fall. Together,” he offered.

“We’d just break each other’s hearts,” Elia whimpered, blinking back tears.

Liam trailed his hand up Elia’s arm and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, brushing the long locks over her shoulder. “I’m willing to take that risk, Elia. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you.” 

She turned her face into his hand, cupping her hand over his, and kissed the edge of his palm. “I don’t want to say goodbye to you either, but I don’t want to be the reason your heart holds on to any more pain than it has to. You deserve to find someone who can love you with their whole heart. I can’t give you that.” She looked up to see the pleading look in Liam’s eyes once more as he caressed her face. “Please, Liam. Do this for me.” 

A bittersweet smile spread across Liam’s face, and he choked out a tiny, humorless laugh. Mustering his best smirk, he looked across the small space in the bed, deep into Elia’s eyes. “ **Come over here and make me**.” 

—

Liam stirred from sleep, hearing the waves outside as he stretched and yawned. Elia was still asleep next to him, partially pinning his arm to the pillow. He drank in the subtle way her body rose and fell as she breathed slow and deep, her long tresses sprawled between them. The sun shifted in the windows casting a beam onto the bed, and her dark hair lit up like hot coals, flickering red in the light. 

Slowly and carefully, Liam pulled his arm free so as not to wake Elia. They’d stayed up late into the night, doing more with their bodies than words could express. While they caught their breath, he tried to get her to reconsider his offer, but Elia had made up her mind. 

He gathered up his clothes quietly and crept out to the kitchen, where he’d left his suit jacket. Reaching into the breast pocket, he pulled out a small jewelry box along with a note and made his way back to the bedroom. He placed the note and gift on the empty side of the bed before kissing Elia’s forehead. She smiled in her sleep and squeezed her pillow, and Liam blinked back tears at the sight of her. 

After leaving Elia’s apartment, he stopped to get coffee before returning to the Ruby. Taking a seat at the bar, he nodded a silent greeting at the other patron at the cafe, noting the gentleman bore a strange resemblance to Elia and her sister. He drank his coffee quickly, before heading towards the pier to return home with a heavy heart. 

—

Liam didn’t notice the way the man at the cafe had snapped a photo of him when he took a seat at the bar, appearing to be aimlessly scrolling through his phone. Benigno sipped his morning coffee slowly, wondering if the young man had swallowed any of the grounds in his rush to finish his drink. A few minutes after sending the photo to Mariela, she confirmed the young man was the same one she’d run into. Benigno ordered a second coffee along with breakfast, while he waited for Elia to wake up and make her preparations to leave. 

Benigno knew Elia was scheduled to leave later that morning on a series of flights to return home; he’d been instructed by her parents to accompany her to ensure her arrival, as a result of a heated conversation with their headstrong daughter. While he didn’t always agree with the stance her parents took in raising their children, as his employers, he remained silent and carried out his orders dutifully. 

—

Elia woke that morning, alone in bed. Though her heart sank upon the realization that she never got to say goodbye to him, a small part of her was grateful that she didn’t have to watch him leave. Instead, she rolled over to see a note on his pillow, accompanied by a small jewelry box. 

Wiping away the sleep from her eyes, she ripped at the envelope and pulled free a weighty piece of ivory notepaper. A hint of a smile tugged at her lips when she flipped the note open and saw Liam’s impeccable penmanship, thanking her for an unforgettable summer in Kos. After she finished reading the note, she picked up the small box and pried it open, sad smile breaking out across her face as she pulled the necklace free. She ran her finger over the letters and picked up the card again, reading over part of Liam’s note once more.

_I saw this in a shop window as I was leaving your apartment, and it seemed fitting that you should have it as a memento of our time together. “καιρός” refers to the right time or right moment to act. My world back home is painfully scheduled, coordinated, and calculated; meeting you that day in the cafe was an unexpected, life-changing surprise. This brief time in Greece together has shown me that risks are worth taking, even if the outcome is unclear. I know we agreed to live in the moment, without any attachments, but…I have grown quite fond of you, Elia._

_Wear this and remember a time when you were free of the things that burdened you. Let it remind you of the way you felt when we jumped into the sea. Though I’ve only known you a few short weeks, I have no doubt that you will be capable of anything you choose to pursue - you are a kind, caring, intelligent woman, determined to bring light to this world just by being part of it. I consider myself lucky to have crossed paths with you…though it is my wish that our paths find a way to cross again in the future._

_With hope,  
_ _Liam_

Elia got ready to leave, collecting her things as she showered and dressed. She added the necklace from Liam around her neck, along with the other dainty chains she picked to wear that day, tucking his note safely inside her bag. She gathered up her luggage and locked up the apartment, heading down to the main road to grab a taxi to the airport. Elia stopped in her tracks when she saw her personal guard, Benigno, waiting for her at the corner cafe. 

“Beni,” she sighed, shoulders slumping with defeat. She lowered her voice and switched to their native tongue. “Here to cart me back home?” 

Benigno stood up from the table and pulled an envelope from his back pocket, handing it over to Elia. “On the contrary, Your Highness,” he replied. “I know my orders are to escort you back home, but I don’t think it’s time for you to get married yet. Not this way, and not to the man your parents have selected. It’s not much, but this should help you get settled when you arrive at your next destination.” 

Elia opened the envelope to see a large amount of cash inside, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t accept this, Beni.” 

“Of course you can.” He smiled warmly at her. “You remember what I taught you, yes?” 

Elia nodded, slipping the money into her bag. “Off the grid as soon as possible.” 

“Don’t get into trouble, you won’t have diplomatic immunity now, young miss,” Benigno teased. 

“What will you tell Mama and Papa?” 

“The truth - you left before I went up to the apartment to take you home.” 

“They’ll probably fire you for this, you know.” 

“I can find work elsewhere. Your freedom is more important than a paycheck.” Benigno wrapped his arms around Elia in a comforting hug, patting her back gently. “Take care of yourself, Ophelia. Between you and your sisters, you have always been my favorite princess.”


	14. Chapter 14

PRESENT DAY

Liam stared at his reflection in the mirror, sighing anxiously while adjusting the folds of his bowtie. He turned his head in the direction of the door when he heard a firm knock against the wood. “Come in!” He called out, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt sleeves. 

The knob turned and Bastien stood in the doorway. He bowed his head in Liam’s direction before clasping his hands behind his back. “We’re ready for you, sir. The ball is underway.” 

Liam exhaled pointedly, slipped his phone into his jacket pocket, grabbed the mask on the dresser, and walked towards the door. “Let’s get this over with.” 

TWO YEARS AGO

In the six months that followed after Elia floated into his life, Liam spent every free moment his schedule would allow to try and find her, to no avail. She was like a ghost; there was no trace of her anywhere. In all their conversations, she spoke freely but never divulged specific information about herself, as if she’d practiced the ability to talk about herself without _actually_ talking about herself…much like he’d been trained to do when he was younger. 

She went to boarding school, but never mentioned which school. She’d graduated college without telling him the name of the institution. Anecdotes about her family always mentioned a sister, or Reg; Reg must have been her only brother, but Liam wasn’t sure of how many sisters Elia referred to, other than Mariela. She always shared just enough information without calling too much attention to herself. 

It was exactly like part of Liam’s etiquette training. 

The phone number she’d given him was a local number, and it was deactivated days after they parted. Based on her decision to run away rather than marry for her family’s status and political gains, he surmised she cut off any way for them to reach out to her or track her whereabouts. 

He’d even tried to gather intel using Mariela and Reg in his searches, but the results were too broad, pulling up pages of de Leons from all over the world, yet none of them looked like Mariela or Elia. He chastised himself for not telling Elia who he was sooner; that perhaps if he’d been more forthcoming, she might have shared a tiny detail about herself so that he could find her. 

It was one of many reasons he searched the crowd for Elia’s eyes; she knew where _he_ was. She could come to him, if she wanted. He held on to that thought as he endured every royal function, until he met Riley.

PRESENT DAY

Standing on a dais in the ballroom, Liam looked out at the multitude of guests. There were men in tuxedos and dark suits, and a myriad of women in sequined and shimmering evening gowns in every shade imaginable. He knew most of them, even behind the masks they wore, but there were more than enough unfamiliar faces; nobles from lower houses he was unacquainted with, mixed with dignitaries and strangers from across the sea. 

A string orchestra played a classical tune as guests mingled, casting curious glances in his direction now and then. To his right, Drake approached, holding two glasses of amber liquid; he hoped it was either a Rusty Nail or Scotch Sour. He needed to appear friendly yet indomitable, and it was too early to start with straight liquor. His friend stood by the dais, offering him one of the glasses, along with a sympathetic smile. Liam took a sip and nodded in thanks, noting the honey and herbal notes to make a Rusty Nail. “Who would’ve thought we’d be holding a masquerade ball again?” Drake asked, lightly smacking his lips after taking a sip from his glass. 

“It is what it is,” Liam replied. He smiled and nodded politely as Olivia locked eyes with him across the room, before she returned to her conversation with Kiara and Maxwell. “The Council knows I’m in a precarious position, so if another damn social season is what it takes to make them think I’ll find a new queen, so be it.” 

“One hour at a time,” Drake exhaled. “Who knows, maybe **you’ll feel better in the morning** , after getting to know some of the new suitors.”

Liam’s response was to take a long sip from his glass.

—

Eighteen months had passed since Riley divorced Liam, citing irreconcilable differences. After he told her about his summer romance with Elia, Riley slowly became distant and cold. They began to quarrel in private, and Riley stopped making public appearances with him unless her presence was absolutely necessary. He suggested marriage counseling to work through their troubles, but she was just as closed off in their joint sessions, attributing her shift in attitude as a result of the stress of being queen. 

She began to travel on her own; initially she planned long weekends in Valtoria under the guise of getting to know her duchy, but it wasn’t long before her travel plans extended outside of Cordonia. She would visit Hana in Shanghai, or travel to Amsterdam or Madrid with Maxwell, until she would disappear on her own.

When foreign tabloids began running stories about Riley getting too friendly with strange men, it put the stability of their marriage into question. That was when Liam knew it was over. 

Without a wife, he couldn’t produce an heir. Without an heir, the Crown was once again at risk. Liam thought he would’ve felt worse when Riley left for good; he thought his heart would rip in two when he signed his name on the divorce papers, or he’d be left with a permanent ache in his chest when she packed up her things for the last time. After all they’d gone through to be together, he truly believed Riley was the woman he was meant to build a future with. 

But there he was, standing in the ballroom, waiting to speak with a new group of suitors.

The suitors from his first social season were all in attendance, though they politely declined to participate. Olivia, Kiara, Hana, Penelope, and even Madeleine simply wanted to show their support for Cordonia, though some of them sponsored eligible ladies from their duchies in their place. 

As the evening went on, Liam chatted with the new suitors as they were introduced; some women were from noble houses, and there were others who had titles in their own countries. There were a handful of heiresses he’d been unaware of before, lured in by the media attention from his first social season. For the most part, he felt like he was simply going through the motions – most of the women seemed pleasant enough to hold a conversation, but they all lacked a spark he longed for. 

He found himself searching the crowd once more, holding on to an infinitesimally small strand of hope for a familiar pair of spirited brown eyes.

—

Liam froze when a young woman walked up to him after he concluded a conversation with a hotel heiress from Bali. The mystery woman wore an intricate mask with white peacock feathers; her dress was mostly white, the skirt shifting from light teal and deep blue as it grazed the floor. When she smiled, he could have sworn her eyes glinted like liquid cinnamon under the warm lights from the chandeliers. 

The young woman curtsied as low as she could, given the fit of her dress, and offered her hand to Liam. Something in her eyes was eerily familiar. “I don’t believe we’ve met before,” he said, gently taking her hand in his to press a chaste kiss against the back of her hand. 

“This is my first time in Cordonia, Your Majesty,” she replied. “I’m Maria Amelita Xamira Basilio, Princess of Las Perlas.”

He paused upon hearing where she was from. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Maria.”

She smiled up at him. “My sisters and I all have Maria as our first name,” she giggled. “Please, call me Max.” 

“Forgive me for asking, but how many sisters do you have?” 

“Three,” Max answered. “Maria Elena Aurora, Maria Divina Ophelia, and Maria Victoria…along with my older brother, Prince Raphael Emilio Gutierrez.” 

Liam blinked several times at Max’s response. “I-I’m sorry, that’s quite a lot of names all at once.” His chest rose and fell and his mouth went dry before offering her a kind grin. “Might your siblings utilize nicknames as well?” Liam’s head began to swim, already chipping away at the extra letters. 

Max smiled again. “They are quite a mouthful, are they not?” She nodded before answering. “My eldest sister often goes by Mariela, and then there’s Elia.” Max darted her eyes down to the floor at the mention of Elia’s name. “My other sister goes by Vicky, and our brother is Reg. My family really likes to pack the names in there,” she joked. 

Liam’s heart pounded against his ribcage as his mind raced. There were too many similarities for it to simply be a coincidence. “You’re part of the royal family from Las Perlas,” he murmured. “I’ve always wanted to visit the beaches there, but I’m afraid I’ve never had an opportunity to do so.”

“You ought to,” Max beamed. “My family can extend an official invitation, if you like. The beaches back home have powder-fine white sands and turquoise water, like something out of a dream.” 

Liam was hit with a wave of Déja vu at her words, immediately recalling a conversation with Elia where she said the same thing. “I apologize, you said one of your sisters was na—”

Behind him, Bastien cleared his throat. “Sir, there are other guests to greet.” 

Liam exhaled impatiently, before returning his attention to Max, offering her an apologetic smile. She curtsied once more. “Please, once I’m done here, I would very much like to continue our conversation.”

“Of course,” Max replied. She curtsied once more before taking her leave, and Liam pressed on with polite conversation to his other guests. 

With the possibility of a second chance at love, Liam was determined not to let it slip through his fingers again.


End file.
